


Out of Place, Out of Time

by BluKoffee



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2019-09-23 23:00:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17089367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluKoffee/pseuds/BluKoffee
Summary: Join us down the rabbit hole in a slice of life of a 1700s sailing ship, with a sexy hot capitán who has rippling muscles and a crush on this interesting and unusual girl from the modern world!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: blood, violence, language, abrupt left turns of the universe and sudden plot twists within, along with romance (hopefully), danger (definitely), and unexplained holes in space and time (only sometimes). Damsels in distress need not apply. (Summary courtesy of Senneres (Spec-spankin'-tacular writer of all things Salazar. Please check her works out!)

Before I even opened my eyes, I realized two things; one, my head felt like it was about to split open like an overripe watermelon, and two, I was gonna throw up. Now.

I rolled over and my stomach revolted, sending burning acid boiling along my throat, out my mouth, even up my nose. Gagging and wheezing, I shakily raised myself to all fours, trying to hack out all the acid in my mouth and nose. I blearily blinked my eyes open and started slightly at the sight of wood and metal and grungy straw covering the floor. _What the fuck?_

My stomach clenched again and I started dryheaving, but nothing else was coming up. The damage was already done though, my eyes streaming from the pain of the acid through my nose. I collapsed on my side and a shudder went through me, the headache much, much worse than when I just woke. It pulsed with a nasty tempo in waves over my skull, my stomach trying to answer with more heaves.

I shivered again, trying to take stock of where I was. _Okay, so not my bedroom. Wooden walls, bars separating into cells. I'm in a cell?_

The small pot on the floor was when I started to become alarmed. I slowly rose up onto an elbow and tried to breathe in, somewhat of a challenge through the burned mucus membranes, but I managed to get the whiff of brine. And the nauseating rocking motion of the room began to make sickening sense.

I was on a boat.

On the ocean.

And if the woman a few cells down wearing a Regency-age dress was anything to go by…

I was a few centuries out of time to boot.

Uhm…what just happened.

The brief hope that this was just a seriously fucked-up prank flickered and died when I managed to rasp "Where are we?" to my cellmate.

She gave me a look like I was something that had squished under her shoe. _Excuse me, lady?_ "Refrain from speaking to me, commoner."

The lilting tones of a British accent, not to mention her seemingly ingrained holier-than-thou attitude said with finality that we were no longer in Kansas.

I huffed in dry amusement, then unable to take my pounding head anymore, I laid back down to wait to die. I recognized the pattern of pounding pulses. It was the type of headache I had the joy of experiencing when I got overheated. This one was a particularly lovely one, encompassing my entire skull and making me want to beg for the sweet, cool mercy of death. At least it cut out the pain in my mouth from the stomach acid. The cell was sweltering hot, even with the whiff of cool breeze coming in through the barred window. I could hear the distant shouts of what I guess were the sailors on the ship, but they were too muffled for me to make out any words or if it was even English. Eventually I gave in and fell into a light sleep. Maybe everything would be better when I woke.

After what seemed like forever and a day, the distance sound of boots on wood woke me. _Water or death?_ At this point, all-encompassing misery I felt made it difficult to have any more fucks to give. The nap hadn't helped at all. My stomach was constantly queasy and my head felt like I was laying on an anvil while someone was trying to pound my head flat. What I did note with little interest was that my cell was dark with shadows, the only light flickering from dim lanterns, and it eased my discomfort slightly. I had always liked nighttime better.

I lay on the floor, the dirty straw scratching my cheek as my breath rasped through my fiery throat. I'd long since given up on trying to ease the pain, and the headache couldn't possibly get any worse. The constant churn of nausea didn't help and the dizzying feel of motion sickness was just the fucking icing on the cake. The rate I was going, if I found something sharp, I was mighty tempted to just get it over with…

The boots pounded closer and the woman in the cell down seemed to shrink in on herself, no longer the overly proud peer of the realm as the owner of the boots made their way down the stairs and came into view. I groaned silently at the ratty, unwashed appearance of the man holding a small tray with two even smaller bowls and two thimbles of water. It didn't bode well for the kind of ship that we were on.

He let out a malicious chuckle as he went over to the lady's cell first. "Yu'r furst corse, m'ladi…" He cackled again as he slid the bowl of gruel and cup of water into her cell. "Th' cook's fines' rat-trap sup. N'joy!"

Moving over to my cell, he peered at me through the bars. "Ya a strange fish, ain't ya? Dunnow if ya gonna make't long 'nuff ta turn a coin."

With a sneer, he shoved the rest of the tray through the bars on the floor, then scurried off, leaving behind the disgusting stench of unwashed body and curdled onions.

 _Let me guess. Pirate ship. And the rat-trap soup has…_ I managed to pick myself up long enough to peer over the edge of the bowl. _Yup. Raw rat in it. At least they speak English, more or less._

I flicked out my tongue in disgust, glancing over to see Miss English doing the well-mannered equivalent. But the water was welcome, even if it was warm and tasted like it was used for more than drinking. I used a small amount to try and wash out my mouth, the faintly sickening feel of the continuous burn finally being relieved a little as I drank, grimacing as the oily feel of the water. My headache pulsed nastily before fading just a tad.

Not even bothering trying to choke down the soup, I moved backwards until I felt the feel of wood against my back, then laid down on my side again, trying desperately to ignore the constant up-down feel of the ship, my stomach sliding revoltingly from my throat down to my belly button to follow the waves. A shiver shook me again, even though the muggy heat hadn't died down in the slightest. Misery clung to the sticky air like a fly trapped in honey.

Closing my eyes only seemed to amplify the heavy feel of it, but I was tired, the heat, the pain, the nausea just too much for me to cope with without any form of escape. I'd sell a kidney and both my ovaries for my phone. Just something to stave away the boredom. I loathed boredom, it was the worst kind of torture for me…

"You. Girl."

I so did not want to deal with her right now. Not even bothering to respond, I tried to drift off.

"Girl. I know you can hear me. Answer me."

I snapped my eyes open, growling under my breath. "What," I barked sharply.

"Don't you speak to me like that. I have some questions for you."

Rolling my eyes, I scooted around so I could see her. Her dress, which must have cost an exorbitant amount of money, was greasy from the floor, and matched the dirt sullying her skin. She wasn't what I recalled the Regency regaled as a beauty, but she was still gorgeous, even with her mahogany hair as a rat's nest. I couldn't make out her eye color, but I could see she had clean, even features, nothing overly pronounced, but it made her quite pretty. If she'd had a different hair style, she'd look like an elf.

I suddenly started. I could see her face. Her features were sharp and defined, even from where I lay an entire cell away, yet I wore glasses for years up 'til yesterday, but I could see her as clearly as if I was wearing them. I reached up to touch my face to make sure, but no wire frame met my fingertips. My glasses were gone, but I could see perfectly fine without them.

_Ooookaaaaay….I'm really happy, but at the same time, I'm really fucking freaked out._

"Why are you touching your face?"

 _So, whatever happened to bring me to this hellhole also fixed my vision. Uhm, thanks, but I'm not sure I'm willing to go through this to make up for it._ Outload, I just said, "I thought I had a cut. What do you want to ask me?"

My companion curled her lip in a sneer. "American. I shouldn't be surprised, considering your state of dress."

"What's wrong with my clothes? Everything's covered," I retorted, glancing down at myself, even though I knew it was extremely inappropriate for the timeline. Having read many a historical romance novel (a guilty pleasure, what me being a pessimistic romantic), I knew roughly what was considered proper and not. And wearing comfy boy shorts and a black T-shirt featuring a cute little monster holding a cookie tray and a caption that read "Come to the Dark Side, we have cookies" (which also glowed in the dark), was not proper at all. However, I was much more relatively comfortable with the heat than she was. I knew she was melting under the layers of that dress.

"What's wrong- you're practically naked! How could your family let you about dressed like that? It's shameful!" she gasped, horrified.

I rolled my eyes again and propped myself against the bulkhead. "Look, you said you had some questions. Would you like to ask them, or can I try and get more sleep?" Modulating my speech so I didn't appear too out of place (although my code of dress seemed to have taken care of that), I sat upright and waited impatiently. I had a feeling that this one was going to be troublesome.

She harrumphed, but didn't go back to ignoring me. "Do you know anything that's going on? About where we're headed? Anything at all?"

 _Lady, if_ only _you knew…_ "I remember being in my bed, which was _not_ on a ship, fell asleep, and woke up in this cell."

She frowned, leaning back against her wall in an unladylike slouch. "So you don't know…but how…" she trailed off and stared at the floor, still frowning.

I perked up a little, my headache waning slightly as she distracted me from the miserable state I was in. "You know how I got here?"

Shaking her head, she continued to scowl, but it appeared to be more of a reflective expression than a disapproving one. "You were aboard the _Bountiful_ , a passenger vessel bound for the East Indies. A few days into our voyage, one of the cabin boys found you asleep in an empty cabin. Nothing would wake you and the ship's doctor declared you 'sleeping dead', which I believe is called coda?"

"Comatose, or _in_ a coma," I quietly corrected, not wanting to be rude, but not wanting her to retain the wrong information.

"Thank you," she imperiously nodded at me before continuing. "You were _comatose_ , and no one could determine how you got aboard, or what on this _earth_ you were dressed in, so we left you be. I believe the captain was under the impression that you were a witch, dressed as such and suddenly appearing aboard his ship, but he seemed more afraid of what you would do to them if you were indeed a witch and they imprisoned or executed you rather than leave you alone."

I shivered to think of how close I had come death whilst unconscious if what she said was true. Although, dying while asleep wasn't the worst way to go either, especially if you didn't know it was coming. I realized she was still speaking and quickly tuned back in.

"-and they were sailing colors. The captain informed me that the _Bountiful_ could hold her own against pirates and said I needed to wait in my cabin, but next thing I knew, we were being boarded, people were being slaughtered-" she broke off and quivered, her eyes squeezing shut as horror flickered across her face.

"And we were spared and imprisoned here, most likely to be sold into unpleasant circumstances," I finished for her, the reality sinking in that we were most likely going to be sold as slaves. Or at least I was. She might be held ransom, if whoever was in charge was in any way intelligent.

"I saw that they were going to kill you, and I told them that you were a highborn lady from a faraway country, one that made its riches in precious stones. I don't think they believed me, but they haven't killed you."

I narrowed my eyes. That seemed awfully selfless for a peer, especially in this day and age.

She was looking at me with a fairly expectant air. "I figured that if you were indeed a witch, you could use one of your spells to let us escape, or turn the crew into toads or such."

I blew a soft snort. "I wish I was a witch. Then I wouldn't _be_ in this situation."

A scoff drew my attention back to my fellow inmate. She was looking at the ceiling with a disgusted expression. "Of course you're utterly useless. After I went through the trouble of saving you. Well, don't expect anything else from me. As far as I am concerned, you are now an obstacle between me and returning to civilization. Good day."

And with that, she stood up and walked over to the far corner of her cell to plop down with an extremely unladylike air.

I twisted my mouth into an _of course_ look, then curled up back in my own corner. I didn't feel like dealing with the rattrap soup, so I left it where it was. I hadn't yet reached the state to eat raw rat, but I had the sneaky feeling that I was close.

Days passed with a monotonous boredom that clashed terribly with my constantly pulsing headache and churning stomach. The withdrawal from my addiction to listening to music was not pleasant, especially when it would have helped block out the constant dread and misery, and I had searched on the third day for any sharp implement I could find, yet nothing, not even a rusty nail poking out of the wood. My skin was crisscrossed with patterns I had made with my nails in an effort to entertain myself, my half-bob hair hanging down in greasy strands on one side that were quick on their way to becoming dreadlocks. My prison buddy had fared no better. She shed her dress on the next day and was sweltering in her undergarments. Between the two of us, we looked and smelled downright disgusting, yet that didn't stop our warden from throwing us calculating leers every time he brought us our paltry meals once a day.

I curled my lip at him when he eyed me up and down suggestively. I might not win, but I wasn't gonna go out without a fight. And he was used to 'respectable' bar rats from this time. I doubted he had tried to do anything with someone who used her teeth, and not in a fun way.

It struck me as odd that the only person we saw was that ragged excuse for a human being, but I could still hear the voices of the other sailors above us. Guess they couldn't be bothered with us, which I took for the blessing it was.

The boredom was killer, and I did my best to entertain myself. The lady, who still hadn't told me her name, refused to talk to me. I guess being stuck in this hellhole wasn't enough to sway her to chitchat with a commoner. So I busied myself with either mentally playing videogames, as much as I could remember, or diving deep into my headworld I had been working on a story with back home. Very deep. Sometimes I would open my eyes and expect to be there instead of still stuck in this doldrums.

I had figured out a use for the rattrap soup, since the only thing that had changed in our menu was a little bit more water and a piece of moldy brick I supposed was once bread. If I took out the chunks of rat and other unmentionables in it, soaked the brick in the soupy water that was left, the chalky mold canceled out the grimy taste of rat, which had a tang of gasoline (which was strange) and vice versa. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, but it was better than starving to death. After watching me the first time, my cellmate began to do the same.

Five days in, our visitor decided to bless us with his charming company again, this time under the dim cover of night. I was just starting to wonder if I had enough rat tails to make a noose when I heard the familiar thump of boots on stairs. I crept into the deepest shadows of my cell with my hackles raised, snarling softly. He never came more than once a day, so this boded very ill…

He stood in front of the door of my neighbor's cell, grinning gape-toothed at her as she retreated into a corner with a wary look. "Yur gonna be high fun, aren't ya, missy? Not gonna give ol' Screed any tuble, right?"

I shuddered at the thought and snapped my teeth together a few times. "Hey! You don't want her, do you? Won't she be worth more if she's not damaged goods?"

That got his attention. He slowly turned to look at me, his blackened grin stretching wider when I became his target. I was disconnected emotionally, something that I tended to do in high-stress situations, but I knew what I wanted to do. These animals had imprisoned us, left us in inhumane conditions that I wouldn't leave a serial killer in, and I wanted my pound of flesh. I grinned at the rat as he unlocked my cell door, grappling at his breeches.

And I was gonna get it. It would hurt, but it would be oh, so satisfying.

"On yur back, bitch," he spat as I moved closer. I was scared, shaking from adrenaline like when I was about to kill a poisonous snake, except this one was far bigger than any copperhead I'd killed, and I didn't have my bush axe. But I needed to be close to do damage, and the adrenaline rush was working wonders for my panicky courage.

"Don't you want to have some fun first?" I rambled, my mind starting to short out as the panic grew. I knew I needed to disable him, but wasn't sure if I could remember enough from my self-defense class many years ago. "Anticipation makes it all the sweeter, right?"

Eyes first, then groin or slamming nose into brain. After that, fair game.

I placed my hands on the nasty coat he was wearing, covered in grime and snot and other secretions, gently gliding upwards until I had my hands on his face.

He was watching me with an uncertain look, apparently stupid only up to a point, but he went with it, grabbing my sides with a pinching grip.

I winced, then smiled at him as I smoothed my thumbs across his eyelids as I pulled him down as if for a kiss.

Then I stabbed deep, trying to force my thumbnails as deep through his eyelids as I could get, trying to not get shaken off as he screeched and danced around, scrabbling at my skin as he tried to pull me off. I tried to get a knee up but he had already skittered out of reach as he grabbed my hands and shoved me away. Bloody liquid streamed down his cheeks, but I couldn't tell if I had crushed them to a pulp. Either way, he was still mobile, and even more dangerous now that he was in pain and enraged.

I jumped out of his way as he blindly rushed towards me, screaming profanities and how he was going to slice me to ribbons.

The ship suddenly rocked underneath us, the motion accompanying by the roar of thunder and the strange, acrid stench of a smoke I hadn't smelled before.

Cannonfire, I realized. They were firing on someone. Another passenger liner like the _Bountiful_?

Unfortunately, the rocking had jolted me too close to the blinded rat and he managed to grab hold of me, his hands scrabbling along my torso as he tried to find my neck.

I dodged as much as I could with the grip he had on one of my arms, but wasn't quick enough as he managed to slap me hard across my face, rapidly crushing me in a bear hug as he began to squeeze. Stars flashed across my vision, then disappeared in a red haze as rage rapidly replaced panic. Fueled by that and having no other options, I snarled and lunged forward, reaching downwards to try and crush sensitive parts as I sank my teeth deep into his neck to tear flesh and arteries. I tasted blood as I bit hard, and my fingers managed to grab something soft and giving. I immediately dug in, squeezing and twisting with all my might as I withstood the blows from my victim's flailing fists as he let go of me and tried to punch me into letting go. My ribs were aching from the punishment of being repeatedly pounded, but I held on, my jaws locked deep into blood and mangled flesh.

A lucky fist managed to clock me against my temple and I almost blacked out, managing to struggle back to awareness from the sheer knowledge that if I let go, I was in bigger trouble than before.

Hot blood streamed everywhere and the beating gradually began to subside as he lost huge quantities of the fluid.

I snarled and bit deeper, sending fresh gushes of blood pulsing down my chest. All I tasted was hot metal, my entire body shaking with adrenaline. My teeth hurt from the effort of tearing through skin and muscle, but my sharp canines has done the job as my victim started going slack.

I had work to unlock my jaw as he began to drop, the tension making muscles ache that I hadn't felt since my wisdom teeth had been removed. His body collapsed to the floor, all but gone, the floor a bloody mess underneath us. I was shaking so hard I could barely stand as I stared down at the first human being I had ever killed. I felt no remorse, but no satisfaction either. Just…tired, and in pain.

Shuddering, I stumbled over to the bulkhead as the ship rocked again, harder this time, the returning cannonfire that was coming from whoever they were fighting booming louder and more frequently than the ship we were on. _Serves you bastards right, picking on someone with bigger teeth. Hopefully they'll kill all you fuckers._

"You-you killed him!" I heard in a shrill screech. "I can't believe…Oh my god…"

 _Why does everyone insist on screeching? Seriously? It's fucking annoying._ I ignored her and slumped down the wall to my knees, my muscles like limp jelly after the adrenaline faded and left shivering limbs and pain. So much pain.

I half-heartedly tried to spit out some blood and wrinkled my nose when it just dribbled down my chin.

"Get up! We don't have time for this! We need to get out of here, or we'll be sunk along with this wretched vessel. Get up!" she yelled, smacking her hands against the bars, apparently having recovered from witnessing a fairly gruesome murder.

Scoffing lightly, I closed my eyes, exhaustion sweeping through me like a wave of blackness. I was so tired…

Dehydration, pain, nausea, adrenaline rush, it was all too much and I had nothing left. I let the bone-deep weariness drag me under, the faint cries for help swimming in the distance the last thing I heard below the roar of cannons…

* * *

I drifted slightly to consciousness, not enough to fully awaken, but enough to be aware that I was being carried. I was pressed tight against a solid chest, the powerful arms holding me seemed strong enough to crush bone, but I couldn't summon any concern, not when I was being held so gently. It was a very strange feeling. I hadn't been carried since I was little, and I didn't even know _where_ I was being carried to. Whoever it was, I felt his chest vibrate when he barked commands in a language I didn't understand, the baritone of his voice a deep and smoky sound with a raspy bite to it, a mellow music I could listen to all day. I wanted to open my eyes to see his face, but my eyelids were too heavy and it took too much effort. He started to speak again, softer this time, and I drifted off, lulled by the sound of his voice.


	2. Chapter 2

My eyes flashed open and I scrambled upright, shoving myself backwards against the hardness of a wall as my gaze darted around in a panic, my breath coming in quick gasps as I struggled to place where I was _now_. It was getting really old waking up in strange places that were _not_ my bed. At first glance, I was clean, no blood to be seen, in a bed inside a small room with little furniture, and the man in the chair close to the door had been startled awake by my abrupt movement.

And the room was still rocking.

I paused for a second, trying to determine if it was my head spinning that made it feel like that, or if my world was indeed swaying.

Yup, it was swaying. I was still on a ship.

I groaned and fell back against the wall, then jerked to eye the man warily as he rose from the chair to move over to the bed.

"You are safe, _senorita_. No harm will come to aboard this vessel." He spoke with a thick accent I couldn't place but guessed was Spanish, due to the term he used, and he appeared to be wearing a uniform of some sort. _Military…naval? Oh, goodie. In a time period notorious for being prejudiced against women on ships, I'm stuck on a naval vessel. And it'll be just my luck we get some chauvinistic pig in charge. What next? I teleport to Tatooine ?_

"You must lie back down. It is too soon for you to be moving. Your injuries have not yet healed and you were severely dehydrated." I was bustled back under the covers before I could protest, flinching when he touched me. Even before I had been locked in a cell and almost died, I didn't like people touching me.

"Water, please?" I rasped after I rolled my dry, thick tongue across fuzzy teeth, the plastic taste of having been asleep for a long while strong in my mouth.

"Of course. Here." He poured some water from a pitcher on the small dresser, then made as if to help me sit up.

I tensed, shrinking back slightly. "Please…don't. I can sit up."

He nodded gently and withdrew, waiting patiently as I pulled myself upright and handed me the cup.

"Slowly. Small sips."

I blinked tiredly as I drank, the cool liquid making the grimy dryness in my mouth instantly vanish and I began to feel better. My headache was gone, thank God, but I had a weakness to my limbs I didn't care for. This strange person who was apparently my temporary caretaker might have said I was safe, but if I needed to run, I doubted my legs would support me. It felt like all the strength had been leeched out of my bones.

After I was done, he took the cup while I watched him suspiciously. It took me a long time to trust people normally, and after my recent experience, I wondered if I'd ever be calm around men. Well, they'd always made me nervous before, mostly because I was raised in a family of women. In my experience, men were rarely worth the paper they were written on.

He saw my suspicious look and smiled at me, probably trying to appear less threatening. He looked harmless enough, his face not handsome, his cheekbones cut too sharp and his brow too heavy, but he wasn't ugly, with dark, kind eyes, tanned olive skin, and he appeared relatively young, about late 20s. The more I took in his features, the more I realized he was actually kinda cute. His black hair was long and tied back in a neat ponytail that appeared to be pressed into a curl, which should have looked really strange, but somehow seemed appropriate with his black and gray uniform. He had some beard shadow, but other than that, the neat and pressed image he presented was a far cry from the grungy pirate garbage.

"I gather that you have questions, yes?" he asked, moving to return to the chair, making me a little less nervous now that he was on the other side of the room.

I flexed my ears backwards, something I did when I was anxious and liked to take on more animalistic characteristics, such as growling or baring my teeth, and dipped my head in an affirmative.

"You are aboard the _Silent Mary_ , a proud vessel of the Royal Spanish Navy. We were hunting the pirate ship you were on and all aboard her had been slain when your companion was able to gain our attention. We brought you two aboard the _Mary_ , where you've been in our care since."

I reached up to rub my face as I groaned quietly. _What kind of nightmare is this? Just one fucking curveball after another. Couldn't I at least get a pot of petunias to chat with, dammit._

"You need to rest. You are not yet ready to be up and about," he cautioned, rising to stand, but didn't move closer. "I shall return later. I need to inform the Captain that you woke."

I looked up at him as he turned to leave. "Wait. What's your name?"

He paused and sketched a slight bow. "Ah, forgive me. I am Officer Reíno. And your name, may I ask?"

My mind raced around in circles. For some reason, I didn't want to give my real name and blurted out, "Blue. My name is Blue." _Uh, okay? No, this is good. These people supposedly saved us, and we're gonna lie to them right off the bat. Yup, there's no way this ain't gonna bite us in the ass._

My inner voice rolled its eyes and I cleared my throat a little before I tried to fix my mishap. "I have a few names that I go by, but I prefer Blue." Well, it wasn't a complete lie, my coworkers called me different things. I didn't go by Blue, though. Usually it was variations of my name or initials.

Officer Reíno bobbed his head, an expression flickering across his face that I couldn't read before he smoothed into a polite smile. "Very well then, Miss Blue. I must report for my duties, but I shall return afterwards to assist you. Rest well."

With that, he let himself out and quietly closed the door behind him. I clicked in my throat and shook myself, my life before I woke up in this twisted rabbit hole seemed a distant memory. And at this moment, I didn't care where I was, I just wanted to go home. I missed my mom, my grandmother, my dogs, my cats, my goats…I missed my room and my drawings…

I pulled my knees up to my chest, drawing in shuddering breaths as the feelings of anxiety and depression clashed together like stormy waves upon rocks. I hadn't had time to reflect upon my situation when I had been in the cell, distracted by the misery of migraines and never-ending nausea. Aboard the _Mary_ , I could barely feel the rocking of the waves, for which I was eternally grateful, but I could feel the oncoming breakdown from the sheer emotional hurricane begin to overwhelm me with nothing to distract it.

I hated crying. I absolutely hated it, especially the type of ugly crying I was currently doing. My anxiety raced a rut in my brain as I silently screamed at the air, the tears streaming down my face until I was blinded, my nose clogged and still I couldn't stop.

Emotionally drained, the torrent eventually died down to manageable sniffles and I felt terrible. I hated crying because it wasn't pretty, it didn't fix anything, and you felt like shit afterwards. My eyes were puffy and burning, I couldn't breathe, my pillow was drenched and nothing had changed. I certainly didn't feel better, but I supposed sometimes you just had to let it out. I got up and wobbily tottered over to the water pitcher to pour some onto my hand and tried to wipe off the worst of it. The towel that had been left for me was handy, and I felt a little more human after that.

I crawled back under the covers and heaved a sigh. Life liked to throw me lots of punches and I was pretty good at rolling with them, but this was a friggin' bitch slap to a glass jaw. I felt shattered emotionally and physically and I had absolutely no idea what to do or where to go. If I was on a Spanish ship, then not only was I in the wrong era of time, but I was an entire ocean away from home to boot. _Great. This is gonna be hard-pressed to get any worse. How the fuck did this happen? This shit happens in books and fucking fanfictions, not in real life._

Curling into a ball, I tried to silence the panicking voices in my head and get some sleep because who knew where the fuck I might wake up next. Luckily the crying jag had worn me out enough that I was eventually able to drift off into a sea of uncertain dreams.

In hindsight, I should have known that I was going to have nightmares, but it didn't occur to me before I awoke with a jolt, panting hard and shaking with the urge to run from the demons in the dark. I shook myself and rolled out of the bed, staring around wildly as I moved jerkily towards the door, hoping some fresh air might help as I pulled the handle.

The door didn't budge.

"S-seriously?" I stuttered, starting to panic. I needed to get out, to run, to hide, to stop the dizzying whirl of my thoughts that were going nowhere but skipping like a record at the end of its track. I bit into my hand, the pain helping release some of my anxiety but not ebbing the flood in the slightest. I scanned the room, looking for something, anything to distract myself until the nervous dread could die down. A book, a scrap of paper, something, anything!

The room was completely bare except the bed and the table, the empty sensation seemingly causing my skull to shrink as I began to hyperventilate. An idea flashed through my mind and I grabbed the pillow and the blanket, crawling under the bed and noting with relief that whoever was in charge of cleaning had swept out underneath as well. Folding the cushy blanket half under me provided some protection for the sheer hardness of the floor, and offered some escape from the demons swirling in my brain. I knew it wouldn't help if someone actually came into the room with ill intent, but it gave me some peace of mind. Restlessly, I drifted in the dark, softly humming to myself to try and calm the anxious fluttering of my thoughts long enough to go back to sleep for a while.

Boots on hard wood and the click of the door woke me, triggering a flashback to my cell. I bolted upright, only remembering I was under the bed after I cracked my forehead into the wooden frame above me with a small flash of white. Muttering dark curses under my breath, with plenty of "motherfuckers" thrown in, I crawled out from under the bed.

" _¡Senorita!_ What on earth-"

"I don't want to talk about it," I snapped, the insta-headache and my poor night of sleep making me irritable, even though it could be argued that I wasn't a morning person to begin with.

"Let me help-"

I snarled at Reíno's helping hand and cringed away, scrambling up on top of the bed before he could touch me, huddling into a ball in the corner. I didn't want help, I didn't want anyone touching me, I just wanted to be left alone, with an _unlocked_ door! What I really wanted was to go home, but I had a feeling that wasn't going to happen anytime soon…

I stared at the officer with a grim expression as he glanced over me worriedly. "Are you well, _senorita_? Why were you under the bed?"

I blew through my nostrils, but didn't answer. I didn't feel like talking today, maybe ever again.

Reíno sighed, rubbing the side of his face as he stepped closer, a small bundle of cloth in his other hand. "Please understand. I know you are probably not happy being in here, but it is for your own safety. This is a military vessel and she is not designed for passengers. You could easily be hurt."

I understood what he was trying to say, but I also understood that this was not an ideal situation. I was ready to leave, breathing or otherwise. I started, surprised at the dark tone my thoughts had taken. I'd never thought I'd find myself entertaining the thought of suicide before, but I knew that this time period was not…kind to women. Especially ones that could easily be considered ill of mind or a witch. Such as someone from the 21st century.

"Miss Blue?"

I jerked my gaze up to see Reíno staring at me with concern. He must have called my name more than once. "What?"

He hesitated for a brief moment before asking, "Is there anything I can get for you? The captain wishes you to dine with him shortly, but until then?"

The…captain? I so didn't want to deal with that right now, but the mention of food made me realize that I hadn't had real food in well over a week.

I clicked a noise deep in my throat as I weighed food against the possibility of another anxiety attack.

"Perhaps a change of clothes, then? I'm afraid that any dresses we had aboard have been claimed by Lady BeKatt-"

I cocked my head to the side. "Who?"

Reíno gave me a confused look. "The lady who was captured with you aboard the pirate ship."

"Ah. She never told me her name. Something about me being a commoner," I muttered with a disgusted scowl.

Reíno twisted his lips in a small sneer that led me to believe that I wasn't the only person she had a "problem" with. "I am not surprised. We were able to locate some small items of clothing that if do not fit, will not be overly large."

I glanced over his decently-sized frame and then down at what I was wearing. Somehow, the fact that I was dressed in a soft, flowing shirt that was fairly unflattering to my figure and well-fitting breeches had amazingly escaped my notice. No, seriously, how the hell hadn't I noticed?

"Your other, ah, items…were cleaned as much as possible. Here," he said as he held out the small bundle towards me.

I took it, recognizing my pajamas and more clothes like the ones I wore. A thought struck me and I jerked my head up to look at Reíno uneasily. "Who…cleaned the blood off me?

Reíno coughed uncomfortably and a ruddy flush crept over his olive skin. "Lady BeKatt was…kind enough to assist mostly with…that matter…" he trailed off, the flush darkening as he refused to meet my eye. I gathered that the good Lady BeKatt hadn't been as helpful as he'd like me to believe in that matter.

I tried to not let it bother me too much and instead drew some comfort from the familiarity of my shirt. I was pretty sure I didn't have anything whoever it was that had cleaned me up hadn't seen before, but all the same, it was really embarrassing, since no one had ever seen me naked before. _Thaaat's a dangerous path to go down, let's not._

Glancing up, I suddenly gave him a small, slightly mischievous smile. "Make you a deal. You don't mention me being under the bed, and I won't pry about who dressed me."

Reíno made a small choking noise, the ruddiness flushing up to his ears, but he nodded in agreement.

I set the clothes beside me and chewed on my lip, wondering if I could get something draw or write with. I was pretty sure that any book in this time period was gonna be a really dry read, or even if there were some that weren't, I doubted they could be found on a naval vessel.

"Miss Blue?" Reíno queried. "You have something you wish to ask?"

"Could I…uhm, get some paper and a pencil?" I asked, shifting uncomfortably. It didn't feel right asking for more from these people, but I was desperate.

Reíno seemed to pause for a moment, confused. "Paper and pencil? May I ask what for?"

"I, uh, like to draw and was thinking," I sucked in a deep breath, "since I'm not allowed to go outside, I could at least amuse myself."

His confusion cleared and he nodded. "Ah, yes. I will see what I can do. And you are allowed to go outside, just not without an escort."

At this I perked up. I could go out? Now?

Seeing my expression, he smiled and bowed slightly, "I take it you wish to step out for a moment? Only a brief moment, mind, your injuries have not healed fully."

Scrub my injuries, I needed _out_ , and the only blasted window in this joint didn't open. I stood up quickly. "Out. _Now._ "

"I apologize that the window is barred," he said as he stepped aside to open the door for me, "We sustained a small amount of damage and it needed to be covered so as not to allow unfavorable weather in."

I was barely listening, too busy savoring the fresh scent of freedom, polish, and wax. I wrinkled my nose slightly, noticing that the fresh coating on the wood did indeed look nice, but it stung the inside of my nose with unpleasant fumes. Splinters weren't something I was really worried about, I walked around barefoot almost all day long, and I had no idea if they had a pair of shoes small enough to fit. For people as fastidious as these seemed to be, it was a little funny that they overlooked giving me a pair, but I wasn't going to remind them of something I didn't need.

Reíno stepped past me and I blew a snort when I realized he was only a few inches taller than I was, and I was _short_. Not that it mattered, I just hadn't realized he was so short until I was standing next to him. I was used to being the shortest person in a room at almost any given time, so I found it amusing.

"Come. This way." Reíno turned down a corridor and made sure I was following before leading me through a small maze to a set of stairs that went up to bright light. I squinted, disliking the burning sunlight, but it was more than tolerable to get some fresh air and be out of that cabin.

I knew I was grinning like a fool as I ducked under a stairway and trotted over to the railing, but I didn't care. I had wind in my face, all I could smell was brine, and I was happy as a clam. I loved the beach, but didn't much care for being out on the ocean since I almost always got seasick, but it appeared that being aboard the _Silent Mary_ hardly made me feel nauseous at all, which struck me as odd. Then I looked down the length of the deck and I figured out why.

This thing was _massive_. I knew essentially nothing about anything naval, but I had a feeling that a ship this size was a rare creation. The bright light of the midday sun cast her in her full glory and even I was capable of appreciating the feat of engineering and craftsmanship that had gone into the _Mary_.

"She is beautiful, no?" I heard Reíno murmur when he saw me taking the sheer magnificence of the vessel he served on.

I nodded quietly, slightly awestruck. "She's _gorgeous_!"

He let out a soft laugh. "She is the pride and joy of those that serve aboard her, the envy of all other sailors that sail under the flag, and the bane of all pirates who dare to cross her path."

"I'll bet," I muttered under my breath, moving over to make room next to the rail as Reíno joined me in admiring the _Mary_. He glanced over at me, his face breaking into a grin as he looked at me.

"What?" I asked, not really caring what I looked like as I closed my eyes and lifted my face into the wind, enjoying myself immensely.

"You appear to be having fun," he said with a laugh.

"I am! I love the smell of brine, and after being stuck in a sweathouse of a cell, then locked in a cabin, it feels good." I sighed happily and slumped down on the railing, resting my head on my arms as I basked in the breeze.

"She lives!" a new voice broke in, yanking me out of my peaceful state. I jerked upright to see a new officer approaching us, his face breaking into a grin as he drew closer. Something about his manner and the slight swagger to his step told me his sense of humor slanted towards the mischievous, and the slight glitter in his eyes as he gave me a quick onceover left me with the uncomfortable impression I might be his next victim. I inched closer towards Reíno, just in case this new character got any ideas as I perused him back. His features were very refined, almost too sharp, which added up to what would have been a very stern face if not for that glimmer of humor.

Reíno seemed to have no such misgivings. "She speaks as well! _Senorita_ Blue, this is Officer Magda. He will also accompany you from time to time while you are aboard when I must attend to my duties."

While keeping my eyes on Player Two with a mistrustful stare, I let out a small "yay" I was certain neither of them heard as they turned to talk to each other in their native tongue.

I flexed my ears back, the serene moment shattered and I clicked deep in my throat with disappointment. I turned away from their intense discussion and peered down over the side of the ship, wishing for a pair of sunglasses as I was blinded by the glint on the waves, if only they had been invented yet.

A sudden burst of homesickness swept over me as I stared out over the waves, head resting on my crossed arms again. Who knew if I'd ever be able to see my home again, my scatterbrain house tucked away in the thick green woods with my two fat horses, a.k.a. pasture ornaments, grazing out front.

"Something is wrong," a gentle voice interrupted my thoughts. I twisted slightly and saw Reíno and Magda watching me intently.

Shrugging a little, I returned to watching the waves. "Homesick."

"Home…sick?" Reíno asked, sharing a confused glance with his comrade.

I gave myself a little mental kick. I needed to watch the lingo, or they were really going to notice something wasn't right. "It's when you're in a strange place, away from home, and feel a strong urge to return," I explained, abruptly losing the desire to be talkative.

"Ah, I know of this feeling. Where is home?" Reíno inquired, moving to stand next to me at the railing again. Magda stepped away, I assumed to return to his duties.

"Far away…" I murmured, my heart sinking when I started to realize just _how_ far away it was. I was quickly slipping back into depression…

"You are American, yes? 'tis not so far away, I think. Indeed, crossing the ocean is dangerous, but it is very possible. I am sure that the captain will see to it before you depart." Reíno seemed bewildered as to why I was so dejected about this. I had to laugh to myself because the poor man had absolutely no idea that it was more than just an ocean between me and home.

"It's…complicated. Explaining would just give the both of us a headache." _And it's not like you'd believe me anyway._ I gave a soft snort as I imagined myself explaining what a car was, or the fact that we had a device that let us talk to anyone, anywhere in the world, see their face even, and we used it to search for pictures of kittens.

Reíno hummed a noncommittal noise, then abruptly twisted about at someone's shout. "Wait here, please. I must see to something."

I nodded a yes as he strode off, leaving me to my thoughts. I shrank back into the shadows under the staircase leading to one of the upper decks, hiding behind a few barrels tucked under it with me. Peace, relative quiet (what with the bustle of sailors zipping around on deck), and a moment to try and sort my life into some semblance of order.

Having been in a worse situation, this particular setup wasn't so bad. Polite people, well, _men_ , and clean clothes and bed. Couldn't say anything about the food yet, but I wasn't really that hungry, surprisingly. A side effect, I supposed, from almost dying of dehydration. It tended to shrink one's appetite.

All in all, aside from being about two centuries off course, it probably would have been a rather enjoyable trip, if I'd been forewarned and been able to pack or something. As it was, I was still having a slight difficulty in wrapping my head around _friggin' time travel_. Like…whaa? Now would have been a superb time to stumble across a blue police box…

I laughed quietly to myself, then jumped in surprise when I heard the bark of a deep voice right over my head. I looked up to see shiny black boots striding purposefully down the staircase as their owner continued speaking to whoever was the recipient of his harsh tone. He reached the bottom of the stairs and the rest of him came into view as he turned to continue speaking to one of the officers I now realized was Reíno. If I had to confess, silently to myself and would never admit to any other living soul, he was extremely attractive. I had always been a sucker for a man in uniform (and really, what woman wasn't?) but this new player that had entered the game struck such a striking figure, it was like I had been suckerpunched right in the gut. Well hidden behind the barrels, I allowed myself to curiously take him in, noting that he wore no hat, yet it made his appearance seem even more arresting, as if he needed any help in that arena. He was well older, but that didn't bother me, I had always found myself attracted to older men, but I had a feeling that for him, he had probably been an ungainly youth until he had grown into his strong features. His black hair was neatly pulled back into a bun without any wisps escaping, which compared to my flyaway hair, was very impressive. A Roman nose that appeared to have been broken at least once and a high, proud brow made into an extremely attractive visage, but his somewhat generous mouth gave a soft edge to his otherwise stern persona. _I bet he'd be an outstanding kisser._ I quickly jerked away from that and continued my observations.

The silvery-white and black striped jacket he wore was completely different than of the other uniforms I'd seen, and the silver-threaded epaulets on his broad shoulders said he was high ranking. I felt safe in assuming he was the captain.

He strode to stand directly in front of Reíno and appeared to be quietly berating him. I hoped I hadn't gotten him into trouble or anything. Then I frowned, cocking my head as I listened. Upon paying attention to the dark, rolling tones of the captain's voice, I started, recognizing it as the voice I had heard before I woke aboard the _Mary_. He had been the one carrying me? Why? I would have thought that my bloody mess of a self would have been being toted about by one of the minions, rather than the captain. I shuddered in embarrassment, not that there was much I could have done if I'd been conscious. But still, it was the principle of the matter. I shook myself as the inadvertent imaginings of this man carrying me skittered through my mind and viciously shoved it away. I already felt uncomfortable; there was no need to make it worse.

_Okay, enough fresh air. Time to retreat._ I peeked around the barrels to see if I could make a run for the stairs leading belowdecks without being seen.

Gack, nope. The doorway was square in the captain's line of sight. Dammit.

I sighed, resigned to staying curled up behind the barrels until Reíno could get away to escort me back to my room. My sense of direction was fairly on point, but I needed more than one go-round to get my bearings and it wouldn't make a good first impression to be found wandering about like a lost lamb.

I was dozing hard in the shade for a probably a good twenty minutes, waiting for Reíno to come back. The man had been right, I wasn't ready to be jazzing about, but it felt better to snooze up on deck than down in the closed cabin. It was far sight better than a cell, don't get me wrong, but considering how my life had been going the past week, it easily made me feel claustrophobic.

"Awaken, _senorita._ We must return you to your cabin."

I was alert with a jolt, cricking my neck as I jerked upright. It was Magda who had awoken me, not Reíno like I had hoped. Magda took a small step back, allowing me room as I scrambled to my feet, throwing around a quick glance to see that the captain had disappeared.

"My apologies for startling you-" he started as he held out a hand to help me rise.

"It's fine," I said with a polite smile, even as I discreetly avoided his hand. I wanted _no one_ touching me, I didn't care who they were…just the thought made my skin crawl. And I felt too brittle to be subjected to any mischief this particularly individual felt like imparting. I was capable of shrugging off a great deal, but right now, I felt…fragile.

He nodded politely, then twisted to the side as he held out an arm. I tilted my head, staring at him in confusion. What did he want?

"Please. Allow me to escort you." He motioned for me to take his arm. Frowning, I gave him a look. What part of I didn't want anyone touching me did the universe not understand? I understood it was polite and all, but I could really use a few less manners… Magda waited patiently, a small smile on his lips and that glitter still there, but I was really too drained to give a damn. Fine, if he wanted to use me as an emotional punching bag, fucking go for it. I didn't care.

I resisted heaving a sigh as I gingerly reached out and wrapped my hands around his sleeve, the gesture completely alien to me.

Magda must have seen my uncertainty on my face because he smiled at me reassuringly as he placed a gloved hand above my own, but didn't resist when I tugged my hand experimentally to make sure I could still get free. "I mean you no harm, Miss…Blue, was it? I promise to take you straight to your cabin and nothing more."

I made a noise at the back of my throat as I avoided meeting his eyes. Being this close to a male stranger made me extremely nervous. "I'm not nervous," I blatantly lied, wanting nothing more than to slip loose and run away. My personal space was being ignored and my skin was prickling from the invasion.

"You must forgive me but that does not seem to be a truthful admission," Magda said with an easy grin, flexing slightly as we descended the stairs, making me aware that though he was slightly taller than Reíno and slimmer, he seemed to have a wiry strength to him that was capable of damaging me just as efficiently.

"When did you become so distrustful of men, if I may ask?" He let out a small laugh that quickly died when I jerked away from him, unable to take the lack of space anymore. I put the width of the corridor between us and looked him in the eye.

"Around the time that I was imprisoned and almost raped by _men_ , sir."

That shut him up, and squashed any humor out of his expression, his open gaze immediately growing dark. I felt a twinge of remorse, and tried to ease it by adding, "I know you are a gentleman, otherwise Reíno wouldn't have entrusted my care to you. But you seem to have an air of a troublemaker to you and I…don't think I could take any more trouble right now."

I gentled my tone and smiled timidly at him. "I'm sorry, but I would like to be friends though, if that's possible."

We stared at each other for a long moment. It would have been nice to have known what he was thinking in that space of time. I was thinking that I wished I could just melt into the floor and escape all of my problems.

He seemed to reach some sort of conclusion and his features relaxed back into his easy air as he cracked a small, genuine smile at me. "The apology is mine, milady. I fear you are correct, my manners have been fearfully lacking, such as they are. And I should have realized, yet here you are, having to remind me of how to act as a gentleman to a distraught lady-"

"We're going to stop right there," I interrupted, holding a hand up to his faintly surprised expression, "I'm not distraught, I just need a little less…touching," I finished with an almost invisible shudder.

Magda was silent, his eyes darkening slightly before he gave a slow nod. "I believe I understand."

He held his hands behind his back and sketched a small bow, his smile back, if a shade dimmer than it had been. "Shall we, milady?"

I rolled with it. "Lead on, my good sir," I said, smiling back, feeling better now that I had my personal space back. He still made me unsettled, but it was easier to deal with when I had a comfortable distance between us.

"I apologize, again, for making you feel uncomfortable," he said quietly as he led me through the short maze back to my cabin.

"It's alright, I'll recover shortly. It's just still…fresh," I murmured, quickly becoming more at ease with the man now that I felt like he wasn't going to pull some prank on me, not yet anyway, and was giving me the space I needed. I would have to thicken my skin, but that could come later.

We reached my door and he stopped, fidgeting slightly before clearing his throat. "If I may…I think I would take pleasure in being your friend."

I grinned at him. "Just so you know, I'm terrible at correspondence. You'll have to do all the talking," I gently teased.

Magda appeared slightly startled by the tease, then quickly recovered, grinning back. "I will do what I must to secure a friendship with such a lovely young woman, especially one so beautiful."

I coughed, not certain I had heard correctly, but my face started burning all the same. "I beg your pardon?"

His grin stretched wider and clicked his heels together, straightening to attention. "One shall be along within the hour to fetch you to the captain's cabin. A small bath has been placed inside your cabin for your convenience."

Dipping a bow, he turned about and strode away, leaving me staring after him, blinking in bewilderment. _Uhhhhh, who'da what now? Did..he just call me beautiful?_ I shook myself and clicked my teeth while I walked into my cabin, concluding I was mistaken. Either that or the man needed glasses.

Inside was a tub big enough for me to fit in, with fresh clothes, a towel and soap next to the bath. I made use of the chamberpot first, grimacing at the barbarity of it (the lack of plumbing being one of the major reasons I had never wished to timetravel), but with the rudimentary toilet paper, it wasn't as bad as I had feared. I never wanted to be the person with the duties to dispose of them, that was for sure.

Clicking in my throat, I circled the bath, eyeing the steaming water. I appreciated the gesture, but I felt very ill at ease with being tended to like this. I was used to taking care of myself, but I figured it wasn't quite as bad as having a maid. That would have been unbearable. It did help a little, since I was used to 21st century conveniences.

I quickly stripped, the steaming water calling my name and I sank in it with a content sigh. It felt so good, I could just soak in it forever.

Unfortunately, Magda's announcement earlier ruined any relaxation I might have sought from the warm waters and with a growl, I quickly bathed as much as I could, grimacing at the inconvenience of backwoods mechanics. It was a small struggle to figure out which soap went where when I couldn't read the labels, but I was pretty sure I figured it out. If anyone laughed at me for messing up, I'd like to see _them_ go shopping at Wal-mart for shampoo.

I snorted at the image that produced and quickly finished up, not wanting to be literally caught with my pants down when I was summoned to the lion's den.

I put the clean clothes on and glanced down at my shirt, groaning at the sheer amount of cleavage it revealed. I had the unfortunate blessing of being uncomfortably busty, and this style of shirt did absolutely nothing to hide it. I chewed my lip, looking around the room to see if something might have appeared that I could use. No such luck.

_Maybe I can persuade a visit to the infirmary to get some bindings. I don't really feel like being ogled._

I plopped onto the bed with a deep sigh, resigned to waiting anxiously for this next fun parade. To amuse myself, I imagined what I was about to be subjected to, then quickly changed my mind when it only served to heighten my anxiety just thinking about being in close quarters with the captain. I was almost completely positive that that man earlier had been the captain. If he wasn't, I'd be really surprised.

A loud knock interrupted my contemplation and I jumped, my stomach abruptly twisting in a tight knot.

"Coming," I called as I slipped from the bed and went over to open the door, revealing Reíno waiting patiently, still dressed in uniform. _I wonder if he's melting under that? It's making me hot just looking at him._

He gave me a brief smile. "Are you ready?"

I suddenly remembered my…display and fidgeted awkwardly. "Uhm, could we stop by the infirmary first? I need some…bindings…" I coughed, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. I knew I shouldn't find it embarrassing, but it was very much so.

Reíno gave me a confused look, flicking a quick glance over me. "Whyfor? Are you injured?"

I nervously rubbed my neck and strained, cracking the vertebrae to relieve some of the tension. "No, I'm…the fit of the shirt, it's…ah…"

He looked at my chest and understanding flooded his face, along with a slight pink tinge to his tan. "Ah, yes, bindings." He coughed, looking as uncomfortable as I felt. "I suppose we should have- ahem, follow me."

I scurried after him as he twisted about and led me deeper in to the ship, down a deck and through yet more of a maze of hallways. I knew it was probably not as bad as the place where I worked, which was a veritable rabbit warren, but I was discombobulated and my sense of direction not at its best.

"Will the captain be angry that we are late?" I asked as we hurried along. "I don't want to get you in trouble."

"It will be fine. I will explain if need be. Here we are," he motioned for me to follow him into a fairly large room with empty bunks laid out and an older gentleman working with tools that looked like torture devices from the Stone Age. He exchanged a few words in Spanish with whom I assumed was the ship's doctor, who after throwing me a glance, nodded and reached into one of the numerous drawers in the cabinets behind him and pulled out a roll of binding. Handing it to me, he motioned to a screen in one of the corners for me to use.

"Gracías." I smiled politely at him, ignoring their looks of surprise. Slipping behind the screen, I pulled off my shirt and sucked in a breath, curling a lip that I hadn't grown up with a chest that was a little flatter.

The bindings dug tightly into my skin, but I didn't want them to come loose and I could breath fine, so I wasn't worried. Tying them was a little bit of a trick, but I managed to work it so it was secure. Fully dressed, I stepped around the screen and nodded at Reíno, who stood impatiently by the door. "Ready."

His anxious features relaxed into a relieved look and I figured he wasn't quite as nonchalant about his captain's concerns of promptness as he had let on.

"This way. Where did you learn Spanish?" he asked curiously as he led me back to the upper deck.

"I don't really know it per se. I know a few really basic phrases, words, might be able to get the gist of what I'm reading, but I wouldn't call it knowing." I didn't tell him that I had had an absolute nightmare of a class in college that had made me hate Spanish and everything related, and I wasn't the only student. Some classmates who had taken it the semester after I had said that it was a completely different class when they were in it, becoming about cultural awareness instead of actually learning Spanish. _That_ said everything.

But I couldn't tell him any of that. So I invented just a little bit. "It was part of my schooling. We were required to learn about another culture for six weeks and Spanish was the one that was available while I was attending."

"I see. How much did you learn?" Reíno asked conversationally, directing me to a sparsely populated area of the ship. I hadn't seen another crew member in the past few hallways, while down below we'd practically been stumbling over sailors.

"Not very much. I'm afraid I wasn't a good student," I half-lied with a laugh. Truthfully, I had graduated almost completely with A's, except for a few stupid classes (that had been poorly taught, but my graduating grade was still 3.89), but that Spanish class had been so bad as to drive one to drink. The only reason I had passed it with an A was because I and several of my classmates had gotten together and figured how to make as much use of the cheatsheet we had been allowed during our quizzes as we could.

"This is the captain's cabin," Reíno announced, stopping at a door that had ornate sectional woodwork carved into it, giving it an ominous air, but that might have been my imagination

I gulped, feeling the blood draining as I rubbed at the anxious cramping in my lower left arm.

I must have looked white as sheet because Reíno gently reached out and touched my shoulder. "You'll be fine. I'll escort you inside and you'll dine while you answer questions. That's all. You're not going to be thrown overboard or back into a cell. I promise," he said reassuringly.

I swallowed again. "Is that really something you can promise when you're not in charge, though?"

He huffed in amusement, then knocked and opened the door, grasping my elbow to pull me along as he strode inside the lion's den.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really, really must apologize for how long it's taken me to update this. Really, it's inexcusable. I was trying to keep this updated, then life, then the universe, and it just all kinda swirled away in a blur and holy crap it's almost 6 months later. So, apologies, this is SUPER long overdue, and nobody panic because I've got another fifty chapters to (eventually) upload, and thank you for your comments and kudos! Enjoy the ride!

The captain's quarters where what I expected and yet not. I wasn't surprised by the elegant and well-made furniture that graced the room, the heavy oak desk covered with charts, books, letters and other items, the incredibly detailed map covering the wall behind it, nor the lovely bay of glass windows filling the wall across from me, illuminating the room with filtered light from the afternoon sun. The settee in the middle of the floor seemed also to fit, along with the plush chairs placed with it on the thick rug covering the floor. What did surprise me was the huge bookcase covering the wall to the left of the doorway, absolutely filled with books, and that all the furniture and fittings of the room were of a dark, well-oiled mahogany, giving the room a cozy and dark, yet masculine, feel. Well, it felt cozy to me, I'd always liked dark, homey places. Reíno, on the other hand, who was practically vibrating with nervousness, jumped slightly as the door in the far left wall abruptly opened and the stern-looking figure from before strode out.

I didn't know if I was particularly happy about being right that the mouthwateringly attractive individual from before was indeed the captain, but I did know that the moment he stepped into the room, I felt a weird tickle of electricity skitter across my skin. _What-the-fuck-is-that?!_

The captain strode over to us, throwing a terse phrase in Reíno's direction, who answered quietly. Probably why were we late? I didn't have a chance, beginning to panic when the captain jerked his head towards the door, dismissing Reíno.

Reíno bowed, brushing a comforting hand against my arm as he quit the quarters.

And unfortunately, there was nothing between me and the dark, piercing gaze of the captain as he stood in front of me, scanning my form in silence, noting everything.

My eyes flickered over his face, and with an electric jolt, I was amazed again at just how attractive he was, and surprised at my unexpected reaction for a few reasons. For one, he was much older than I'd thought, at least somewhere in his late thirties, far more mature than my meager twenty-five. His hair was straight black with no signs of silvering anytime soon, but the slight creases at the corners of his eyes and the deep grooves around his mouth indicated age, though he bore it extraordinarily, disgustingly well.

Another reason his sheer magnetism surprised me was that his features were so strong, so heavy, that they should have made him unappealing, and on anyone else, they probably would have. Yet somehow, miraculously and unfairly, the end result was an extremely sexy Spaniard that appeared to spend the majority of his time being tetchy.

Which was good, because I doubted my knees would be able to survive if he smiled, or heaven forbid, laughed.

After my initial inspection, I couldn't help noting his immaculate appearance. It had always amazed me how some people could look so well put together, whereas I looked like a frizzy potato freshly rolled out of bed.

"I welcome you aboard the _Silent Mary_ , and I apologize for not having a moment of your time sooner," he said, his deep, lilting accent even more hypnotic when he wasn't shouting at his men.

"You're busy, I understand," I managed to crack out over a dry tongue. There was something beneath his proud, civilized veneer, something that felt like I was being watched by an apex predator, lulling its prey into a false sense of safety before it pounced. And it was making me freak out.

I'd never before been subject to "feeling things" about people, being more than a little antisocial and poor with human interactions, but with him I was feeling more "things" than I thought possible from another human being.

He sketched a polite bow, but somehow it came across as mocking, as if he was barely tolerating my presence. "I am Capitán Armando Salazar."

I didn't know how to respond. Shaking hands wasn't a thing yet, I couldn't curtsy to save my life and I was pretty sure that bowing back was going to be stupid.

A quick image of me saluting and shouting "Heil!" flashed through my brain and my panicked giggle almost escaped before I quickly swallowed it and settled for nodding my head politely. "My name is Blue. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Captain."

He straightened and something in his eyes or his expression gave me the impression that any of my story that had reached his ears had been met with doubt and skepticism. _Dis gonna be fun…not._

He motioned for me to precede him to a table in the corner with dishes on it laid out for two, and I could feel my limbs weakly trembling with nervousness. This was not going to end well, and the panic was feeding into the anxiety in a vicious cycle. I hadn't eaten real food in days, and now I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to eat anything.

"Please. Sit."

I took one of the chairs and nervously paused when he stood behind me to push it in. Not only was it a rare etiquette that I was unused to, but the large, unknown variable standing behind me was radiating an aura that made my skin itch and my stomach clench, making me feel like I needed to run to burn off nervous energy.

I had to remind myself to stay still when he gripped the back of the chair, but couldn't stop from jolting when his gloved hands inadvertently brushed my skin as he pushed my chair in.

He stepped back and I quietly thanked him as he took his seat, fixing his gaze on me with piercing intensity. He gestured to the food, dishes which I had no name for, and said "Eat. We will talk shortly."

My inner voice started running around in circles, squeaking out panicked laughter as we slowly began our descent into a nervous breakdown.

My stomach began to chew on my spine as the marvelous smell of the food before me began to permeate my haze of anxiety. Trying not to appear too desperate, I dished some each selection onto my plate, having no clue what I was eating and thinking I was probably better off not knowing.

I didn't even care that I was being observed as I took my first bite, the effort not to moan at the delicious flavor exploding on my tongue immense.

_This is a far cry from moldy bricks and rattrap soup, oh-my-god-this-is-so-good!_

We ate in silence, both of us seemingly respecting the need to honor the cook's effort with our undivided attention instead of attending to the nasty matter of my past. All too soon, though, the meal was done and there was nothing to distract Capitán Salazar from beginning his inquisition.

The pleasant, lulling feel of a full stomach did help to soothe me, and I wasn't quite as eager to hide when the captain settled back and fixed me with his full attention once again. "I am quite curious as to how you found yourself aboard a pirate vessel, _señorita_. Would you be so kind as to impart your journey?"

Even though his request was phrased politely, I knew that any choice in the matter was an illusion. So I told him. Starting with falling asleep in my bed in "the Colonies", I remembered to say just in time with only a slight stutter, to waking up on the pirate ship, filled him in on what I knew about the _Bountiful_ , and then fell silent as he mulled it over. I felt bad not being able to tell him the entire truth, but I had a feeling he would be even less receptive of that than of me supposedly being a witch. I didn't tell him about me killing a man. I figured the evidence in my cell had said enough, unless he had questions.

I found myself staring out the window, noting it was quite dark outside, when he rose from his seat, jerking my attention back to him. The dark look on his face told me that something wasn't adding up to him, and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

He strode to the window and clasped his hands behind his back, his intimidating frame stiff and almost radiating disapproval.

My throat spasmed as the tension ramped up a few knots. Disapproval was never a good thing.

"Do you think me slow-witted?" his deep voice rumbled with a menacing bite. Nope, he wasn't happy at all.

"N-no!" I stuttered, wondering what the hell I'd said that pissed him off. "I don't think that at all-"

He whirled around, startling me with the abrupt movement, and moved to stand right in front of me, looming like some avenging angel. It was extremely disconcerting. "Then do not play me the fool, _señorita_ ," he hissed, drawing alarmingly close when he leaned down to look me in eye. "I know that you are lying to me, or at least not telling the entire truth. You will give me the answers I seek, or you will spend the entirety of our voyage in your cabin. _Comprendé_?"

I could only manage a mute nod, somewhat unsettled by the shivers skittering over my skin at him being so close, especially when he was this angry, but the fear of being locked back into a cell overthrew anything I might have found intriguing about that.

Seemingly satisfied with my nonverbal response, he stepped back to stand with his back to the windows. "What is your given name? And do not lie to me. Blue is not your initial name."

I shifted nervously. _Why'd I been such an idiot to give them a false name?_ "Isabeau Revanne." Then I remembered; I'd never much cared for my name, it sounded a lot more exotic than I warranted, like some Italian singer or something. Which was why I hated it, and why I went by other names whenever I could.

His expression didn't change, but I saw him pause briefly and I figured he was probably noticing the same thing I had, that my name totally did not fit my image. "Isabeau."

I nodded an affirmative, feeling a flush of skittering tingles slinking up my neck. _Holy. Shit. His accent makes it sound like something that belongs in a bedroom!_ And suddenly, my name didn't seem so irritating anymore. Funny, that...

Humming deep in his throat, that little jolt seeming to have broken through his ire, he returned to his seat. "Tell me, _Señorita_ Revanne," my name rolled off his tongue with an exotic lilt I had never heard before from his accent, and it sounded _delicious_ , "what happened to that animal in the cell we found you in?"

Awkward nervousness gone, I clenched my jaw and snapped my gaze back out the window before I said something I'd regret later, wishing that the chunk I'd taken out of that bastard had been lower. Much lower.

"He was going to rape Lady BeKatt," I spat out bluntly, feeling hatred beginning to roil as I recalled that last little visit. "I had a better chance of fighting him off, and I took it." And that was all I was going to say on the matter.

I glanced over to see him watching me with an unreadable expression. "What?"

He raised a brow at my brittle tone. "That was quite…brave of you."

"Quite stupid, you mean," I muttered under my breath, the peaceful feeling of a full stomach spoiled by the memory of tasting blood and raw, greasy flesh.

"Hmm. More so brave, I think. How did you manage to kill him? There was no weapon in your cell."

"I ripped his throat open with my teeth," I snapped, shoving away from the table and stalking over to the window, much like how he had. My breathing shuddered as I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against the cool glass. It was disturbing to remember that I had almost died, had killed someone so that I didn't. _The survival instinct is a lovely animal, isn't it?_

I heard movement behind me and suddenly I could feel the heat of his body against my skin. "He was not yet dead," came his low voice from right next to me.

I opened my eyes, but didn't move. "What do you mean?"

"He still drew breath, barely, but that was quickly rectified. You may console yourself that you have not yet sullied your hands." He sounded almost like he was trying to comfort me, but I wasn't comforted. After all that, I hadn't even been able to finish the job! Although, it sounded like that wouldn't have been a problem for long.

I sucked in a deep breath and turned to face him, slightly taken aback at how close he stood. And that while Magda and Reíno lacked in height, Captain Salazar was almost head and shoulders taller than I was. _Yay, I'm short. All is right with the world._ But I didn't have the energy to be a smartass right now. Instead, I nodded tiredly, appreciating his gesture. "Thank you. Although now I would worry about what would have happened if you hadn't saved us."

He made a small noise I didn't know what was for. "He wouldn't have recovered from the wound, but _sí_ , it would not have ended well for either of you when the body was discovered…"

We both fell silent again, lost in our musings. I felt drained, too much too soon, and I could feel my bruises and aches becoming more painfully evident than since I first woke aboard the _Mary_.

A light touch on my collarbone jerked me back to the present with a start, and I froze in place as the Captain withdrew his gloved hand from where he had gently brushed my skin, feathering over the dark purple bruise. Anger darkened his brooding gaze and his jaw rippled when he clenched it.

"Those -" he spat out a word I didn't understand "should have suffered far more than they did." He muttered darkly in Spanish, probably more curses.

I cocked my head slightly at him. Was he angry that I had been hurt, or was he just angry about pirates in general? Or both? Or at me for some reason? I was so confused, and so tired of being confused…

He noticed my bewildered expression before I could hide it and let out a small sigh. "I am not angry with you. I am frustrated that these abominations are still plentiful enough on the seas that something like this can happen. No woman should have to endure what you and Lady BeKatt did."

Still piercing me with that studiously intelligent stare, he asked, "How did you come to be aboard the _Bountiful_?"

I shifted uncomfortably. _Careful…_ "I…I'm not sure. I think I might have been drugged, because I have no recollection of paying for passage on the _Bountiful_. I just woke up in one of the cabins."

" _Señora_ BeKatt did say your sleep was unnatural when you were discovered," he mused, apparently a little satisfied by that answer.

Stepping around me, he walked over to the bookcase and scanned over it, looking for something. "You are welcome to remain aboard the _Silent Mary_ until we make for a friendly port, which should be in about two months. We will be restocking sooner, but I would not suggest disembarking there. In the meantime, any and all conveniences shall be made available for you during your stay. You are my guest, and shall be treated as such." He murmured something under his breath as he pulled out a thick leather book from one of the bottom shelves. Pulling something else from the cabinet next to it, he returned to stand in front of me. "If you happen to remember anything more about how you came to be aboard the _Bountiful_ or anything else you wish to impart, do so _por favor_. Upon our next meeting I have more questions, but I believe I have taxed you enough tonight. And you made a request for drawing materials, no?"

He held out the leather book and what I realized was a small kit with pencils, erasers and a sharpener to me. I was sure I looked like an idiot, but my vision appallingly blurred as I gently took the items, dumbstruck by his kindness. Through my tears I was desperately trying to squeeze back, I flipped open the cover and managed to make out that it was an empty logbook. One of _his_ logbooks.

I jerked my head up to see him watching me carefully. I managed to choke out a watery thank you, squeezing the logbook against my chest. Even in 2018, a hardback leather book like this would have been expensive, never mind now.

His mouth twitched into a small smile and it completely changed his stern features from handsome to downright breathtaking. I felt a small punch to the gut at the sight and wished I was still sitting. The man was seriously bad for a girl's knees.

"You are quite welcome, _señorita_. It is time for you to return to your cabin. You need rest. _Ven, te veré afuera._ " He gestured for me to follow him towards the door.

I followed, rolling my eyes at his broad back. Why was it that everyone was flipping their shit about "resting" and "wounds" and such? I had a few bruises, but wasn't like I had tried to play catch with a cannonball. Although, I could use to the respite to charge my emotional batteries. Those were pretty drained, I'll admit. Probably why I had turned into a watering pot. I wasn't too worried about it being hormones, I just finished my period before this hell started and high-stress situations for a prolonged time made it even longer before the next round. Which was good, cuz I so didn't want to deal with that emotional, bloody roller-coaster whilst here.

Surprisingly, Magda was waiting outside the door when the Captain opened it. I'd expected Reíno, but I didn't mind, happy to see the mischievous Spaniard. I felt better having eaten a real meal and was pretty sure I could take anything he dished out in stride.

Magda gave me a brief smile, quickly turning to the Captain to exchange rapid-fire Spanish between them. I tuned them out for a moment, looking down at the Captain's gifts. He came across as a man who didn't part lightly with things he considered his. But I appreciated them very much. Already my mind was clamoring with designs for ferocious creatures and aliens for my headworld, ready to be put to paper.

The Captain stepped aside, jolting me out of my imaginary menagerie, and gestured for me to join Magda outside of his cabin. "I should like you to attend me tomorrow evening as well, if you are feel well enough."

Again, the illusion of choice was in the phrasing, but I understood it for the iron request it was. I dipped my head tiredly at him, ready for bed. "I look forward to it." _Oh, joy, round two with El Capitán. Fun times._ _At least he's seemed to have chilled out some._

He said a few short words to Magda, then bid me goodnight, closing the door with a sharp click. I looked at Magda and blinked slowly, suddenly exhausted from parrying with the Captain.

Magda gave me a knowing look. "He demands excellence, but I think he likes you, hm?"

I jolted, missing a step and almost careened into the wall. I glanced up sharply just in time to see Magda fix an innocent smile on his face. "How do you figure that?"

I heard Magda murmur my phrase under his breath, trying to figure out what I meant, but I was too startled to care about the slip. "Why do you think that?" I rephrased, wanting to know what he meant by that statement.

"Ah. You're still aboard, no? And not in a cell either. But the chief reason I think is because," he leaned close and gave me a sly grin, "he gave you a gift. 'Tis a rare event by the _capitán_."

So my hunch was right. It was a rarity for the Captain. I would have loved the logbook anyway, but now it held even more sentiment. I hugged it tighter and we walked in silence back to my cabin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations: (courtesy of Google Translate)  
> Ven, te veré afuera - (Come, I will see you out)
> 
> So, there we are! First meeting between our intrepid heroes! *is smacked upside the head* *clears throat* First meeting between our wayward traveler and one infamous Spanish Captain!  
> Hope you enjoyed it! Until next time! *snaps fingers and vanishes in a flash of light*  
> (Also, this will be a chapter that I will go back and edit when the entire story is done, so if something strikes you as "eh", I do apologize. My writing has evolved a great deal since I started this story.)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really apologize for the length of this chapter. Like, *really* apologize. It was before I settled on a length of 3-4k words, so when I go back for editing, this will be one of the things that's also adjusted, I promise!

With the logbook for me to empty my whirling thoughts into, the nightmares quickly diminished. The book I had been writing before I was swept through the whirlwind of time still clamored in my brain, calling for me to complete it. I couldn't remember all the details for everything, but most of the gist I was able to recall and started putting pencil to paper again, wishing I had the paper copy of what I'd already written.

It struck me later the next day as I was scribbling down some information about one of the alien species in it, that people here pretty much only wrote in cursive. So could they read print? I wanted to test the theory, but wasn't quite ready for the questions that would trigger. I was curious, though. I could read and write both (was a bit rusty with cursive), but I wanted to know how different the two styles were.

I stepped out of my cabin later that day, wanting to get my bearings aboard this massive ship. I received only a few stares, probably due mostly to my male garments and short pixie cut, but was ignored for the most part and I was good at staying out of the way. I made it my primary objective to find the ship's head as soon as I could, and was surprised when it wasn't quite as archaic as I had feared. It certainly didn't hold a candle to what I was used to as a bathroom, but it wasn't the Dark Ages either, for which I was grateful.

What served as the kitchen mess was where I stumbled upon next. The cook was a large, heavyset man who looked rather terrifying, but ushered me into his kitchen with a gruff manner before I could run and sat me down in front of some freshly baked bread, indicating I was to eat it.

I stared at him nervously as he began bustling about the kitchen, zipping about so energetically I wondered if he got dizzy. Deciding it was somewhat safe, I bit into the bread, almost moaning at the savory taste and consumed it in four bites. Soon as I was done, a small bowl of soup was plonked on the table and the cook continued bustling about. Greedily, I dug in, almost missing the small cabin boy who slipped in a few minutes later. The boy saw me and froze midstep, staring at me with an expression akin to horror.

The cook saw him and smacked him upside the head, speaking harshly in Spanish and the boy scurried by, grabbing things from different shelves and disappeared through a different door.

"Ay, think never seen girl before," the cook muttered in an almost unintelligibly thick accent as he swept by, shaking his head.

"Is it really that strange having a girl on a ship?" I asked, curious to learn more about the ship and its crew. And its captain- No! Quit that! I jerked back to the real world.

He shrugged beefy shoulders and stirred something that smelled spicy. "On other ships? No, but this, the Maria, sí, is strange. Is, what you call, fighting ship, yes?"

"Warship," I translated under my breath. The cook shot me a glance and swept a rag over his shoulders, moving to sit across from me with a discerning look.

"And in kitchen? Very strange. Would not find any...eh, lady in kitchen."

I barked a short laugh. "I'm probably the farthest thing from a lady you've ever met."

"You speak different, not Español, not…Queen's English," he said in a questioning tone after a long pause, peering at me with sharp eyes and a raised brow.

"American," I clarified, wondering how bad that was. I really wished I had better recall of my world history, but unfortunately my elective that I had been stuck with was American history. It had been so dry it was like eating a spoonful of ground cinnamon.

"Ah, American, explains much. Not…usual hearing term like "warship" from girl." He leaned back, still staring at me like I was a bug on a pin.

I really appreciated the food, but wasn't so sure about the interrogation I was getting in return. Then I remembered about the meal I'd had yesterday with the Captain. "I wanted to thank you for the meal I had with the Captain. It was very delicious."

The cook didn't smile, but his scowl lessened some and his eyes brightened. "You much different than English, she does nothing but complain, food not hot, food not good, is poorly made, not fresh, bah," he spat, sneering at Lady BeKatt's complaints.

I blew a derisive snort. "I don't know what she's complaining about, she was eating the same thing I was for days on end."

"Which was?" he asked, leaning forward with morbid interest.

"Moldy bricks and rattrap soup," I said with a shudder. I would die happy if I would never have to think about choking down that slimy mess again.

The cook mimicked my shudder and gave a small gag. "Bastardos."

I rolled my tongue over my teeth to rid my mouth of the tactile memory and vaguely wondered what I was going to do with my time until we hit port. I was going to quickly become bored out of my skull again, and unlike Lady BeKatt, I had no desire to take out my boredom on the hapless crew.

I perked up as I got an idea. "Do you have anything you need help with in here? I'm a quick learner and would like something to do, if I wouldn't be in your way."

Blinking in disbelief, he frowned at me. "You want work…here?"

I nodded. "I'll clean pots if need be, just want to keep busy. I can't stand being bored."

He gaped at me for a long moment, then shook his head and looked around, muttering something in Spanish. "No work now, but if still want, come back after night meal. Will have things to do then."

Meal finished, I was shooed good-naturedly out of his kitchen and back to wandering around on the ship. I got turned around a few times, but not completely lost. I was very pleased with my sense of direction and started to have fun exploring the Silent Mary.

My fun was cut short when I found myself out on the open deck and was almost immediately waylaid by another Spaniard, this one wearing an eyepatch over one eye and a stern expression on his older features. He didn't seem happy at all to have a female scurrying underfoot. I was informed in no uncertain terms that I needed to return to my cabin before I caused disruption to the crew.

I swallowed my sneering comeback and instead used all of my self-control to remain polite as I was practically marched towards the door Reíno had led me out the other day. I caught sight of the Captain standing on the deck above, looking resplendent as he steered his vessel against the waves and wind. He didn't see me, but I was fine with that. I liked being invisible, but on a ship full of men, my camouflage was a little shoddy.

The Spaniard, who wasn't polite enough to give me his name, escorted me to my cabin and ordered me to stay put. My control slipped and I stuck my tongue out at his back as he went to return to deck.

I heard a snicker from further down the hallway, but when I looked, I didn't see anybody. Shrugging it off, I retreated to my cabin to entertain myself for however long until I was collected for dinner.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in apology for the super, ridiculously (to me) short chapter last time, I'll go ahead and give the next chapter now. Again, sorry about that!

The knock on my door was a welcome relief from the boredom I found myself with. The logbook was already a quarter full, both sides of the pages, and I was in dire need of a change in scenery, not to mention a distraction both from the uncomfortableness of the bindings and the constant worrying about the upcoming dinner with the captain. I still couldn't figure out why there was some odd hint of anticipation upon seeing him again. I put it off that I found him disturbingly attractive...

Unfortunately, the man on the other side of the door I could have done without.

The one-eyed Spaniard from earlier had a slightly sour look this time as he gave me a forcedly polite bow. "I am Lieutenant Lesaro, to escort Señorita Revanne to el capitán's quarters."

So the captain had told him my given name. Fine with me.

I cocked my head to the side and gave him a hard stare, wanting to get this mess out in the open. "You don't like me, do you? Is it because I'm female? Or because I'm essentially an uninvited guest?"

Lieutenant Lesaro startled, seeming surprised that I had been impolite enough to call out the displeasure he was radiating. I didn't care, I didn't want to have to be constantly worried about being stabbed in the back. Sure, they were supposed to be "gentlemen" and all, but I didn't know this one from Adam. And I got the impression he didn't like me at all. Which could be dangerous.

He looked at me with a disapproving air. "It is not right for a woman to be wandering about aboard a warship. It is not proper and I do not approve of your actions."

I mulled that over for a moment. "So I'm supposed to sit in my cabin, all day, all night, with a bolted window?" I tried not to sound like I was whining, but I was extremely irritated by this man's level of douche.

He opened his mouth to retort, then paused as he apparently realized just what it was he was asking of me. His lips grew pinched as he straightened, which was impressive since he already stood ramrod straight. "You may venture outside of the cabin only with an escort. It would be a shame…if you were to be injured in your solitary explorations."

Reckless rage flared sky high.

Next thing I knew I was nose to fairly large nose with the man, baring my teeth. He wasn't nearly as scary as the Captain, but he was imposing enough that didn't want to take him on. Still, I would be damned if I rolled over without leaving teeth marks. I hadn't come this far from that hellhole of a prison just to be threatened by this arrogant prick. "Was that a threat?" I asked softly, showing off my pretty, sharp canines, more than capable of tearing through soft flesh like so much steak.

He glanced down at my teeth, and I wondered if it was because "ladies" weren't supposed to show their teeth or if he had seen what I was capable of doing with mine.

His eyes flicked back up to stare hard at me and he seemed to be rethinking some matters. "You…are not a...usual señorita, are you."

I made an animalistic noise that started at the back of my throat and rolled down to rumble in my chest, letting the statement be rhetorical.

Taking a quick breath, I recognized I'd need to be the one to offer the olive branch first before this devolved into ugliness. "I stay out of the way, I'm not causing trouble, and I'm not distracting anyone from their duties," I said quietly, backing up a step out of his face, then added hesitantly, "But if you ask me to…I won't leave my cabin."

It would be almost torturous to sit on my hands and do nothing all day, but I didn't need to make enemies while I was all but trapped on this mobile island, no matter how much I wanted to bite this asshat. And it took a serious effort to allow him the power to essentially imprison me again.

Lesaro clenched his jaw, but after a long, quiet moment, he relaxed just a hair and stepped back, giving me a terse nod. "See that you don't cause disruptions, and you may continue about freely."

"Thank you," I said on a deep exhale, relieved beyond measure that he wasn't going to make me stay in my cabin.

"The capitán is waiting." He stiffly spun about and marched off, not waiting to see if I followed him or not.

I briefly entertained the idea of being a bitch and staying put, but that wouldn't be conducive to the Lieutenant remaining forthcoming with his permissions, so I blew out a sigh and jogged after him.

He was waiting for me when I turned the corner, raising an eyebrow as I trotted into view.

"What?" I asked, though I pretty sure I knew.

"I was thinking you might perhaps wish to briefly remain in your cabin," he said as he continued onwards with me following along.

"I thought about it," I admitted. "But that wouldn't be a nice thing to do to someone you just met." It was a slight poke at how he had treated me now and earlier, and I could tell the dart hit when he grimaced slightly.

"…indeed," he murmured hesitantly. Maybe he wouldn't be such a douche here on out? One could only hope...

Lesaro remained perfectly polite for the duration of his escorting duty, conversing me as little as possible but yet politely, and paused before knocking on the captain's door. Turning to me, I was slightly taken aback by the worried expression he wore. Worried about what? For whom? Me?

"I…wish to warn you," he cautioned quietly, "it 'tis not just you and el capitán tonight, Lady BeKatt is dining as well."

You know it's sad when a man who doesn't even approve of your very existence feels it's necessary to warn you about impending doom.

"Oh, God," I groaned, drooping pathetically. I heard a strangled cough from Lesaro's direction and shot him a dark look. Is he seriously laughing at me?

He swallowed what suspiciously looked like a smile and leaned down to whisper, "I must ask, what was she like whilst you were imprisoned?"

I cringed at the unbidden memory. "Let's just say that if I had to pick between dying of dehydration and spending one more hour locked up with her, I'd pick the dehydration. Every time."

He winced in abject sympathy and brusquely knocked on the cabin door. "Hopefully it won't be as bad as that?"

A deep voice called out and I opened the door, muttering gloomily as I passed Lesaro, "Let's not hold our breath."

He smothered a chuckle and shut the door behind me, essentially locking me in the room with both a lion and a viper. I took a quick look at Captain Salazar, looking extremely sharp in military dress as he stood in politeness, and changed my mind. Nope, not a lion. He was too dark and menacing for that. More like a wolf or a panther.

The viper part, on the other hand…

"So kind of you to join us," Lady BeKatt smiled thinly, her animosity poorly concealed, probably at having to share the Captain's presence.

I resisted heaving a sigh as I went to sit down at the table, slightly anxious, but not quite as bad as I'd been yesterday. I jumped when the Captain moved behind my chair to push me in again, having forgotten about that etiquette. I didn't much care for it, since it placed such a large, ominous presence directly in my blind spot, but I figured that he didn't need surprise to do anything of a dire nature.

What did surprise me was the heavy brush of a large hand between my shoulder blades, out of Lady BeKatt's view, and there was no way for that to have been an accident. He had done it on purpose. But why? I glanced up, but there wasn't anything in his expression to give him away as he otherwise ignored me.

I shivered from the warmth tingling along my spine, a profound difference of my otherwise clammy skin. I was usually cold, temperatures that were comfortable to me turned everyone else into gelatinous puddles of goo. But he generated heat like a bonfire, and it felt extremely nice to have a little bit of it seeping into my bones, even if it was accompanied by little tingles skittering across my skin.

But still, I'd never been affected by another person's touch even remotely like this, and it was more than a little unnerving. It made me glad that my shirt had been between his ungloved hand and my skin. I wasn't sure I wanted to know what I'd be feeling if it hadn't been. But butterflies were flickering in my stomach, and I couldn't help the sinking feeling that it was more than just eyecatching handsomeness that drew me unwillingly towards this force of nature.

He resumed his seat and the meal began, though I noted that there was no complaining of the cook's skills forthcoming.

I snickered silently at that, but I sincerely appreciated the man's skill with food. I was typically a really picky eater, and even though rattrap soup had a way of changing a person's palate, I still found myself enjoying pretty much everything on the table. And even Lady BeKatt's snide comments weren't enough to spoil it.

And all the while, those weird little tingles kept dancing along my skin from where he had touched me.

The strange feelings I was experiencing made me extremely uncomfortable, and I was cracking my joints more than I ever had, even when I was at my most stressed during my job back home. I rolled my shoulders uneasily and fidgeted, trying to relieve the nervous cramping of my muscles. Eventually, I couldn't stand it anymore and strained my neck, the vertebrae popping three loud cracks one way and two the other, indicating I was under a great deal of tension (normally it only popped once either way and rarely in the same stretch).

Both the Captain and Lady BeKatt shot me looks, the former with a quirked eyebrow and bemusement, the latter a horrified glare, but I didn't care. It felt good and helped release most of the tension in my neck.

As the meal progressed, most of the conversation carrying on without any needed input from me, I grew more and more absorbed in my reflections upon the captain.

I was pretty sure I knew what it was about him that made me so nervous. I had never met anyone quite like him before, men from my time being soft and puppy-like, or incredibly dumb, especially ones close to my age. For the most part, just dumb. But he wasn't. He wouldn't have gotten to where he was otherwise.

He was also extremely masculine and physically fit, his older features defaulting to stern, but the few glimpses of other emotions that peaked through brought a youthfulness to him that was extremely easy on the eyes. Really, it should be illegal that this man was as hot as he was. His aura of command was an almost physical thing and it made my skin prickle with something I couldn't identify, but I knew that being around him put me so far out of my comfort zone, I near about had a panic attack whenever I was the focus of his full attention.

Abruptly, I realized what it basically translated to. All the 'men' I'd encountered weren't really men at all. They were still boys. He was not. He was, without a doubt, a man. And my character level wasn't high enough to take on this boss.

I shook myself and brutally squashed any lingering tingles of attraction. Or tried to. In my experience, limited as it was, men like him were always taken, gay, or fictional. Since he obviously wasn't fictional, that left the other two, though I very much doubted he was gay. Either way, he wasn't on the menu. Didn't mean I couldn't look, though, as I snuck another glance. Hot dayum, he was fine…

The Captain began his inquiries to Lady BeKatt shortly after we were through eating and it appeared that she was flirting with him as she answered, but I just pulled a face that they didn't see and ignored them. As far as I was concerned, it was her turn on the chopping block. If she wanted to try tugging on the panther's tail while she was at it, go for it. I wasn't that stupid.

Although it did become increasingly uncomfortable as she grew more and more flirtatious, Britain and Spain being mortal enemies for a long while apparently no hindrance to her aspirations. But it was to the captain's credit that he held quite a bit of appeal…

I was dozing a bit while waiting for the aural torture to end when Lady BeKatt made a comment that caught my attention.

"Salazar…I knew I recognized that name! You're the one they call el Matador del Mar, the Butcher of the Sea, are you not?"

I blinked fully awake in time to see the Captain nod an affirmative. "I am indeed."

Lady BeKatt let out a small laugh. "So that's what you were doing in the vicinity. You're the infamous pirate hunter! Why, your exploits have reached even the ears of the ballrooms of Britain itself!"

He smiled slightly, but by the narrowing of his eyes I had a feeling he didn't particularly take that as a compliment. My gaze tracked to the table as I thought back to those final moments aboard the pirate ship. If he had that much of a reputation, then surely they had realized who he was. How stupid were they to have tried taking on a renowned pirate hunter in command of a vessel such as the Silent Mary?

I looked up to see him watching me carefully, his expression unreadable. "Does that unsettle you?" he asked evenly, yet there was an undercurrent in his tone.

Lady Bekatt laughed delightedly. "Unsettle me? Good Lord, no! In fact, I'm rather pleased to have made your acquaintance!"

She continued nattering on, but I ignored her, too focused on Captain Salazar, who had yet to blink as he tilted his head slightly, still watching me with that oddly neutral look.

Then I understood; he hadn't been asking her. He'd been asking me. But why would he care if it unsettled me? Not that it did. I was very happy that there was someone like him out there to keep that pestilence from spreading.

I shook my head at him slowly, smiling timidly as I ducked my head, uncomfortable in meeting his gaze. No, it didn't unsettle me at all. I glanced back up through my lashes, hoping he'd shifted his attention-

He was still studying me.

He didn't smile back, but his expression relaxed and he nodded as if satisfied before returning his attention to Lady BeKatt's side of the conversation, practically ignoring me as if I had never existed.

I blinked at that bit of weird. Why had he wanted my opinion? I shook myself and stared out the window, ignoring the "grownups".

It was dark outside by the time the Captain rose, motioning for Lady BeKatt to take his arm as he escorted her towards the door. I couldn't stop my yawn as I got up and followed them. It was probably inexcusably rude, but I was tired and still had dishes to clean and they couldn't see me yawn. I wasn't going to slack off now that I had something to keep my hands from being idle.

He bid us both good night, his focus lingering on me with a strange expression lurking in his eyes that I couldn't read, but as soon as his door closed, I put it from my mind. I was surprised to see Lieutenant Lesaro waiting outside the cabin, but when he offered his arm to Lady BeKatt, I realized he was there to escort her, probably back to her cabin. He was having to dance attendance to her? No wonder the poor man hated me, especially if he thought I was going to be like that stuck-up blowhard.

I had no desire to listen to Lady BeKatt recount and disassemble the entire evening, so I made my excuses and escaped down to the mess, the cabin boy from earlier almost plowing into the wall when I appeared in the kitchen.

He scurried away under the lash of the towel from the cook, who told him off roughly in Spanish before turning to me. Before I could even make my apologies, he'd already cut me off. "Aye, figured capitán kept you. Dishes done, but got something else if still want work."

He motioned for me to follow him and pulled out a crate full of tattered books, pages upon pages without bindings tucked loosely around them. "These recetas. Need organizing. Doesn't matter if can't read. Order by first letter of title."

Yanking out a few pages, he pointed to the neatly penned title of each page, all in Spanish, but I could understand the first letters enough to alphabetize them by what was written, and recognized the layout of the writing to realize that they were recipes.

"Leave in books or loose, just order. Got it?" he asked, seeming pleased when I nodded my understanding.

He swept off and I busied myself with alphabetizing papers, something I enjoyed doing. It was faintly reminiscing of my job and it felt nice to bury myself in the familiar for a change. Suddenly feeling energized, I happily hummed under my breath as I breathed in the comforting scent of old paper.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster Hunter is Capcom's brainchild (and who's excited for the next installment? :D)

It was much later when Reíno appeared in the small supply room with me, startling me so bad I dropped the handful of pages I was holding. I had almost finished with the box and the cook, whose name I eventually gleaned was Miguel, had left me some food so I didn't die of starvation.

"Holy shit! Make some noise, or I'll put a fucking bell on you!" I snapped in irritation as I grabbed all the papers and set about reorganizing them.

Reíno didn't say anything and I looked up to see him staring at me with a wide-eyed expression. Then I realized what I'd just said.

I closed my eyes with a groan. And just that easily, I'd fucked up. The soft tap of the door pulled my attention back and I opened my eyes to see Reíno had closed the door and was standing in front of it with his arms crossed, a weird look stamped on his face.

"I knew it!" he hissed quietly, not wanting to draw any potential eavesdroppers' attention. "I knew something was off about you! Where on earth did you come from that you speak like that? What are you doing down here?" he added confusedly, as if suddenly realizing where I was.

I tapped my teeth together as I quickly finished alphabetizing Miguel's recipes. "Organizing Miguel's recipes. And not here. My cabin."

He frowned, but let me pass him without any protest as I told Miguel I was done. Me and Reíno were both shoved out of the kitchen and told to stop working so hard as the door was shut in our faces.

I wrinkled my nose and shot Reíno a funny look, poking fun at being kicked out of working. He gave me a funny look in return and I snickered quietly before he grabbed my sleeve and tugged me along behind him as he moved at a fast clip towards my cabin. Apparently he was eager for some answers. Me on the other hand, I was not eager for the problems that this was going to cause, and the anxiety was making me shake.

I was slightly breathless when he urged me through my door and clicked it shut after him, pausing for a second to inspect my logbook that I had left open on a drawing of a nargacuga, a cat-like monster from a game that I loved.

"What on earth?" he murmured, staring at the feline wyvern in bewilderment.

"It's called a nargacuga. It's characterized by its piercing roar and lightning quick movements, also by the red streak that trails after its eyes when it's enraged. It's weak to fire or thunder," I rattled off nervously as I curled up on my bunk, "It's not a very good sketch, I'm pretty sore at drawing from memory and I suck at detailing."

"Such a creature exists?" Reíno asked, sidetracked by the drawing. He picked up the logbook for a closer look and at my gesture, sat down on the bed next to me.

"No, it's…" I stopped, trying to think of how to explain a video game in a time when electricity didn't even exist. Yet another mark against time travel to whenever I was. I still hadn't asked, and at this point, I _really_ didn't want to know.

"It's?" Reíno prompted, flipping through the pages to my other drawings, pausing at a few that were of my alien designs from my headworld.

I made a frustrated noise. "It's really hard to explain-"

"Try anyway," he interrupted, shooting me a condescending look.

I glared at him, not impressed in the slightest. "I was _going_ to before you cut me off."

He paused, then ducked his head sheepishly. "Oh. Sorry."

I rolled my eyes, huffing a laugh. "I'll do my best to answer your questions, but you'll have to stretch your imagination."

Hearing the underlying seriousness in my tone, Reíno put down the logbook and turned to give me his undivided attention.

"Okay, my name is Isabeau, not Blue, and when I woke up about a week ago, I was in my time. The 21st century." I held my breath and waited.

Reíno's eyes bugged in shock and his mouth opened and closed a couple of times, giving an unflattering fish impression, but I suppose that was to be expected.

"Y-you're lying!" he sputtered. "You have to be!"

"Believe me, I wish I was," I snorted, leaning back to prop myself against the wall, pulling my knees up into my chest. "That'd make my life a whole lot easier versus the alternative."

"B-but, but…it's not impossible!" He bolted to his feet and began to pace, spluttering in Spanish and gesturing wildly.

I watched him with an amused expression and waited for him to come to grips with it. I'd already had my panic attack. Then a thought skittered into my head and I frowned. _How would the captain take this? He's bound to figure out something's not right. Would he have me executed? Or imprisoned again?_

The dark train of thought trigger my stomach to churn with a painful clench and I gasped, curling inwards at the sharp pang.

"Are you alright?"

I looked up to see Reíno hovering over me, having been drawn by my distress. I gave him a weak smile, not wanting to add to his problems and mine. "Fine, just worrying myself to death."

He looked me over worriedly, slowly reaching out to lightly brush my cheek. "You're very pale. Are you sure you're alright?"

I blinked, surprised by the touching, but I didn't take offense at the invasion of my personal space. He seemed to realize what he'd done at the same time I did and hurriedly withdrew, muttering apologies.

Shaking my head, I reached out and patted his arm, smiling slightly at his surprised look. "It's okay. I'm doing better than I was. You're fine."

He still looked a little guilty. " _Señor_ Magda told me about your…request. I should have-"

"It's fine," I interjected. "I don't much care for people touching me, but it's not going send me over the edge. Stop kicking yourself and chill out."

That distracted him. "Chill…out?"

I wrinkled my nose at him with a grin. "Relax. Do you want to hear my story or not?"

He bobbed his head eagerly, and with a warning to keep quiet until I was done, I told him as much as I could remember, including all the details I hadn't told the captain (which I was sure would get me in trouble later), and was quite hoarse by the time I was done.

While Reíno was digesting that, I grabbed a quick drink and adjusted the chair still in my room so that it was closer to the bed and curled up in it. Reíno remained somewhat frozen on the bed, appearing to have trouble wrapping his head around the fact that I was severely in the wrong era.

"What…is the biggest difference…between this time and yours?" he asked haltingly, rubbing a hand over his face.

I thought for a quick moment before I said with conviction, "Electricity." _Among other things. God, I miss having music._

"Elec…tricity?" he asked, giving me a blank stare.

I bit my lip, trying to think of an easy way to put it. "Think…bottled lightning. Not really accurate, but it gives you an idea. It's used for almost everything where I'm from. From light sources to transportation to cooking food. Too bad we're still dependent on stupidly expensive gas 'cuz we're a dumb species," I added bitterly as an afterthought.

"Lightning, but not lightning…" he murmured quietly, frowning in puzzlement. I could all but see the gears whirling madly away in his brain.

"Sorry, as I said it's not a really accurate explanation," I muttered, wishing I'd paid a little more attention in shop class.

His expression cleared a little bit and he exclaimed slightly. "Bottled lightning! You are so advanced as to be able to control lightning? And what is…gas, did you call it?"

I grimaced faintly and shrugged. "Gas, or gasoline, actually, is what we mostly use to power our transportation when it's not wired to use electricity. It's more expensive that it needs to be, due to general inflation, and is not very efficient when compared to using what is called "clean energy", which is energy that we can consume without causing ill effects to the environment. The 21st century is more advanced in some areas, but we have most certainly regressed in others." Take a look at current pop culture, for one…

"Amazing…" his confusion was replaced with a look of awe and I backpedaled rapidly, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.

"It's definitely not all sunshine and rainbows. We've also created weapons with the capability of destroying entire countries with the push of a button, making them inhospitable for hundreds of years." Not to mention the sheer stupidity of the world at large. It really was a wonder we hadn't killed ourselves off by now.

His awe slowly faded as that sank in, his brow furrowing in bewilderment. "But…why would you have such a weapon?"

I twisted my mouth in a rueful smile. "Human nature. To expand and advance, to make more powerful weapons before the other person does. Just because we can."

He gave me a pained look. "Regretfully, I can understand that."

We both fell silent, each trying to reel in our rampant thoughts. I rested my chin on my knees as I blurted out a thought that had just occurred to me. "Will you keep this quiet? Please?"

Reíno lifted his head and stared at me without understanding. "How do you mean?"

"Don't tell the Captain. I'm pretty sure he already hates me without this to push him over edge," I said, somewhat dejectedly. His obvious disapproval wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have that damn inability to think completely straight whenever he was near. It wasn't anything I could control, it just seemed to be a reaction to his presence, and I honestly didn't know what to make of it. Or of the man himself.

He scoffed, standing abruptly, the movement startling me. "He doesn't hate you at all, _señorita_. He is simply…unsettled by-"

"Women aboard his ship?" I cut in with a wry smirk, stomach slowly dropping to somewhere around the floor. _This isn't helping my worrying..._

"-unexpected passengers," he finished firmly. "He is not the superstitious sort to be bothered by women aboard a ship, even one such as the _Silent Mary_ , but he is slightly irritated by unexplained events."

"Such as me," I murmured, somewhat disheartened by this new information, for some strange reason.

"Such as you," he confirmed with a nod.

"Certainly doesn't make an effort to come across otherwise." I flexed my ears back and sighed, wishing there was a simple solution to this migraine. "So how do you think he'd feel about someone who more or less appeared out of thin air?"

Reíno on the other hand, seemed to have come to grips with my predicament rather quickly. "He probably won't believe you, but I think that once he sees just how…odd, you are, his opinion will change."

I stared at him. "So how come _you_ believe me?"

He opened his mouth to answer, and suddenly paused, his face flushing a ruddy color. "I…I've noticed…some…peculiarities."

Abruptly holding up a hand, I shook my head. "I don't want to know. I'm just glad you believe me and don't think I'm either crazy or a witch."

Reíno snorted and exclaimed, "If anybody who truly met you actually thinks that you're a witch, then they deserve to be shot. You are a very kind person, if slightly lacking in proper manners. You're no more of a witch than I am."

For a minute, I could do nothing but blink quickly to not start leaking. "Thank you, Reíno…"

He seemed to suddenly realize what he'd so vehemently claimed and his ears suddenly turned pink. "Yes, well, ahem, I gather you have questions about how certain items work?"

"Oh, yeah." I wiped my sleeve over my face as I sat up and went over to the dresser to pull out some of the bottles I'd used for washing. "Which one is which? Cuz I can't read Spanish," I stated flatly with a small twist of my lips.

Reíno barked out a laugh. "I apologize, that was a terrible misstep on my part. This one is for your hair, this one is for washing with, and the small one is for when you are done. Just rub it in into your skin. It's to help with odors from sweating and such."

"I had wondered about that," I muttered, glancing over to his hot uniform before turning back to the matter at hand with an embarrassed cough. _Oh, goodie, I get to live without deodorant. At least they bathe regularly, thank God._ "I have, uhm…so more…" I couldn't finish, it was so wrong to have to ask a guy these questions. "What can I use…for when it's that time of the month?" I blurted out in a rush.

Reíno remained silent, trying to figure it out, then jerked upright. "Oh! Ah, that. There's some cloths you can use for…when your monthly starts." He coughed too. "When you're done, just add it to the clothes that need washing."

"Thanks," I managed to squeeze out, not able to even look at him. I could fry an egg on my cheeks, even as I mentally slapped myself. It was simply a normal biological function, but still, having to ask some poor guy how it worked…

"I have three sisters," he said with a sheepish shrug, "Please do not be embarrassed by having to ask."

I shot him a wide-eyed look, my blush gradually ebbing to the lesser shade of lobster. "Three sisters? Wow, that's a lot of sharing."

"I was certainly quite looking forward to when I could join the Navy," he said, snorting disdainfully. "Do you have many siblings?"

"I'm an only child," I told him, beginning to be a little unsettled by all these questions about myself. "Mom only wanted one and I was it. It worked out for the best, though, I never liked to share and I was always my own best friend." Though, it sounded a little sad when I put it that way, but I was telling the truth. I had never been a lonely kid, my imagination too vivid for that.

Reíno seemed surprised by that little tidbit. "Wasn't that lonely?"

"Nope," I shrugged. "I had my mother and my grandparents."

"What about your father?" he asked, leaning forward with rapt attention at my unraveling life story, which seemed to interest him as much as being from the future did.

I sneered at that. "Don't know and quite frankly, don't care."

He pulled back a little at my distaste. "Bad blood, I assume?"

"As I said, don't know, don't care. He can jump off a cliff with a broken parachute and I wouldn't pause." The angry annoyance at my useless "father figure" made it easy to ask my next question. "Could you teach me how to shave? I don't much care for hairy legs and you use a straight razor in this time, I remember that."

He stared at me, bug-eyed. " _Dios mío,_ you have some very strange customs in your time."

I shook my head. "Not strange to me. The clothes you found me in? Those are basically what I could wear in public, and nobody wants to see hairy legs with shorts. Not on a girl, anyway. Plus shaving your armpits helps with the sweaty armpit smell."

Bursting into laughter and clapping at his horrified expression and dropped jaw, I bent over and poked him in good humor. "If you think that's bad, you should some of the girls that _I_ think need to revisit their wardrobe choices." A brief image of some of the horrors I'd seen at Walmart flashed through my mind and I shuddered, still snickering at how these men would deal with _that_ hot mess.

He continued to gape at me and I grinned at him. "Lot of things changed over the years, Reíno! Women can join the military, men can be housewives, same sex marriage, and that's just skimming the waters. You wouldn't believe most of it, even if you saw it."

I started laughing again at his dumfounded look and it felt good to laugh, about something actually funny for a change, not in black humor.

Shaking his head in bemusement, he muttered something in Spanish under his breath before addressing me in English. "Yes, I will…teach you how to shave…Good Lord…"

Still snickering at him, I stuck my tongue between my teeth and managed a thanks. But I was sincere in my desire to be rid of my hairiness. I shaved all year long and the prospect of letting the unfortunately dark hair on my legs and armpits grow out was _not_ appealing. And I _really_ didn't think that Lady BeKatt would be in any shape or form willing to help. So if Reíno was willing to help, I certainly wasn't going to refuse...it would be damned awkward, though, that was for sure.

I felt a yawn coming and I suddenly realized just how late it was. "Don't you have to get some rack time before your shift?"

He jolted upright, sending a hurried glance at my boarded up window as he spat out a curse. " _Mierda!_ Yes, and I still have things to take care of. I shall see you on the morrow."

"Wait!" I remembered he hadn't answered my question and hurriedly reached out to snatch his uniform sleeve before he could make it to the door. "Will you keep it a secret? Please?"

His lips thinned, but he nodded unhappily. "The Captain will not be pleased when he finds out," he warned even as I sighed in relief.

I so didn't want to even think about crossing that bridge, but unfortunately, I knew it was coming. I shook my head and promised, "I'll tell him, don't worry. I don't doubt that he's highly intelligent, he's going to quickly realize that something's off." _Technically speaking, he already has, just hasn't realized the full scope of it yet. Oh, god, who knows what he'll do when he does._

"Then I will keep my silence, for now. Good night, _señorita_ ," he bade me, unaware of my ramping panic as he slipped through the door.

"Good night," I called softly just before he shut it, ready for a respite from dealing people in general before I entered Nervous Breakdown stage.

_Well, that wasn't so bad. Then again, it's not_ him _that we need to be worried about._ I panted nervously as I briefly imagined how _el Matador del Mar_ would react.

Then quickly shoved those imaginings away when my heart began to palpitate from the stress.

Trying not to think about it, I sighed in relief as I shucked the clothes I'd been wearing all day, grateful that the shirt and pants had been worn to a softness that helped combat the rough material, and quickly unwound the bindings from around my chest. I winced as the soreness around my ribs in protest to the tight wrappings, but there was no way in hell I was going to be bouncing around this ship with my boobs free. I rarely left the house without a bra, and to be so exposed through what would essentially be a see-through shirt? No. Thank. _You._

Quickly changing into my washed pajamas, briefly wondering what whoever had washed those thought of my odd shirt, I grabbed my blanket and pillow that someone had tucked neatly back on the bed, probably whoever it was that had been tasked with bringing my bathwater and washing my clothes, and crawled under the bed. Sure, the mattress was comfy, but I just felt…exposed, sleeping there. Something about being in that cell had made it hard for me to sleep out in the open air of my cabin.

Still, I appreciated the brownie who took care of my room while I was gone. Making the mental note to ask Reíno to either deliver my thanks or let me know who it was so I could do personally, I drifted off into yet another night of uneasy sleep, the troubled thoughts of how the Captain was going to react when I told him the truth a sour repetition in my mind, tainting my dreams.


End file.
